Food For The Heart
by Anoka Kon
Summary: Ray and the Bladebreakers have grown up. It's been nine years since they had bladed together, but their friendship is strong. When Ray meets an unusual waitress at his restaurant, will love blossom from the ashes of a sickly relationship?
1. Back Together Again

Food for the Heart

A Beyblade Fanfic

Started: 3/1/11

Had it been that long already? He couldn't believe it. Things had definitely changed between them, but some things had stayed the same.

"I don't see a roasted chicken on the grill! Whose shift is it to marinade the fish? And who left these vegetables out on the meat rack?"

Well… some things were the same. He sighed and rubbed his temples, the heat of the kitchen getting into his skull and threatening to rip his head apart if he didn't do SOMETHING to see that these chefs knew what they were doing.

The prestigious one at his culinary school, Raymond Kon excelled in the art of cooking, fine dining, and becoming head chef at his local restaurant. He had spent many years training under the wings of the most well known culinary schools in the world, and at the young age of twenty four, he was already the owner of a restaurant that had earned itself four golden stars and winner of the best Chinese restaurant in China. Medals and plaques lined his office as well as newspaper articles depicting him standing next to government officials who had come to bid their good will to him and his restaurant.

Nine years… had it really been that long since they had Beybattled together? He couldn't believe how fast he grew up, how fast the world passed by, and how much he really missed those days of innocence. It used to be them, just the four of them, and then, they had to go their separate ways.

They had kept in contact via phone and text, after all, they were best friends, and needed to stay in touch. He thought back to the last time he had heard from them.

When they last spoke, Tyson was a sports manager in the league of soccer, having a team that almost made the Japanese championships, but faltered when in the FIFA world cup. Max was running his own bicycle shop in America, selling parts and trading in bikes from all over the world in order to make a living. Kai was a business manager in an oil company that used drills for safe oil drilling, and only drilled in protected areas, where no wildlife could be found. They had each taken their own route, and each one of them had become rather happy with their lives.

Surprisingly enough, Tyson had ended up dating Hilary, much to the displeasure of Max. Hilary insisted that it was because of Tyson's stubbornness that they had not yet made it official, but Tyson always argued that it was because of her inconsistency with their dating that stopped him from doing so. It was a battle nobody would understand.

Max had hooked up as well, although his relationship with Emily seemed to be on the brink of destruction all the time. They would always get into fights and usually Emily was the one who walked out on him. Max was doing everything he could to keep the relationship alive, but it was Emily was at the fault. Then again, Emily always provided him with the support and love he needed, so they were perfect for each other.

Kai on the other hand, had had some sketchy relationships in the past (to Ray's knowledge), and had gone on to date and casually see a girl whom they had never met before. In Kai's words "She's one of the few people I can put my trust in." and coming from Kai, that had to mean a lot.

And then there was Ray. He had followed the path of college and school and all that good stuff, but when it came to dating, the only girl that he had ever hooked up with was Mariah, and she was a handful. Not only was she loud, but she was more like a leech than a girlfriend. She would always text him; call him, made sure he wasn't seeing other women in his spare time. How much spare time did she think he had?

She also didn't do anything. She was a housewife, and as much as Ray enjoyed the steaks he got when he came home late at night, it wasn't enough to satisfy that need to shut her up when they went shopping together. It was like listening to a dead recorder just replaying and replaying itself in his head. He wanted to explode.

"Boss?"

He broke out of his trance and looked down upon the young waiter who was waiting for orders. "Boss, what should I do?"

Ray sighed and put his hand upon the young boy's shoulders. "Go home. Take the rest of the day off, I'm closing up early today." The young boy stared at him blankly before Ray took his red overcoat and put it on. He was going home. "Y-Yes sir!"

"RAY!" the annoying voice was back. Oh dear Lord… She came right at him, that loud and obnoxious girl had come running at him like she always did and pressed herself against his chest, her laughter ringing in his ears. Oh God how he wanted to smother her!

"Soooo, how was your ddaaayy?" she asked, her eyes gleaming. Ray sighed and put down his coat on the couch, Marian picking it up and hanging it up for him. She smiled at him and then frolicked into the kitchen. In a way, he was glad he lived alone, but it felt like she lived with him. Seriously, did this girl EVER go home?

He lived in a house obviously; the rooms painted a pure white with pictures and decorative furniture around to suit his needs and tastes. The only problem was… she put her own stuff in along with his, and he hated pink. He had once liked that color, but because she was so into that color, he had decided to strip out every article of pink and even light red clothing that he had and burn it. It was one of the best decisions he had made in his life.

She served him dinner, a cooked noodle bowl with some peppers and onions and bits of steak. The other thing he hated about her… was that she had no idea how to cook. He had tried and tried, but to no success. This woman just could not be taught how to cook properly, and the only thing she could do was boil an egg, but even that came out soggy.

Ray sat down and tore his chopsticks apart, nearly breaking them with his force. His hair was tied back as always in its' long ponytail fashion, and he had lost his headband long ago. He was a man now, and he did not have time for anything fun. The bangs on his sides were longer now, stretching down to his chest almost, but they hung down very happily, and he knew he was being looked at.

His eyes were as golden as ever, and his ears still strangely pointed. His hair was in a loose ponytail, seeing as his personality was free, yet restrained. It suit him the most. He was the same as nine years ago, except his body had taken a trip. He was bigger now, much bigger than before. He once stood at only five feet three inches, but now he stood at an amazing six feet tall, rather tall for an Asian. Kai was worse though. Because of his Russian genes, that boy grew until he was six foot four, and only then did he stop. It had taken him a while to convince his friends that he hadn't taken steroids to gain that effect.

Tyson and Max grew as well, Tyson growing his hair out longer and now having to use a rubber band to keep it in place, while Max kept his short but dyed a bright blonde color. They had grown too, their stature matching those of their homelands; Tyson being five foot ten, and Max reaching five seven. Their personalities had changed as well, although, not all of it had vanished. Tyson was still carefree and loving, but he knew his boundaries now. Max was still a kid on the inside, and even though he still put mustard on his noodles, his maturity matched that of Ray's and Kai's. They had grown up, and they were adults.

"RAAYY!" he wanted to staple his ears shut, just to keep her out of it. He growled and looked up from the microwaveable food she had placed in front of him. "What." He asked, groaning.

She smiled at him, her pink hair bobbing up and down as she danced in the kitchen. "I just wanted to check that you were still here sweetie!" Ray sighed and ate his fake noodles. "Yes… I'm here…" his head turned when Mariah began to talk, her babbling getting drowned out by Ray's own thoughts. His friends were coming tomorrow, and he knew they would make him feel better.

"Hey, look who it is!" Ray smiled as his comrades, who were all waiting for him to appear. Tyson scratched his blue jeans as he smiled back at Ray, giving him the thumbs up sign from his blue gloved hand. "Welcome back buddy!"

"It's about time we saw you! It's been three months!" Ray turned to his other friend Max, the American of the team, who smiled at him. The young yet sophisticated looking man chuckled and folded his arms, his green polo shirt glowing brightly in the sunlight.

Kai was the last one to greet him, but in a way, it was the warmest welcome. He turned to Ray, and only smiled. Through his grey and blue hair, Ray could see grey eyes that warmed when he came near. Kai had had a thing for Ray once, but they quickly lost interest. Ray was just too strong for Kai. The Russian held out a hand to his friend, a suspicious golden ring on his left fourth finger.

Ray shook the hand and examined his friends. They were all in casual yet dressy wear, which was exactly what Ray had told them to bring. Tyson had thrown on a Hollister brand plaid shirt with a white tank top underneath to suit his slim cut body; he had trained and exercised before he went to China.

Max had his green polo on matched with tan khaki pants, business usual attire for those on a meeting schedule. Kai was always dressed to go, but today he chose to wear a simple black top with a pair of business slacks. They were about to go to out, and this was the way they were going to do it.

"She sounds like she needs a good knock on the head." Ray smiled at his comment, Tyson gazing back at him. "You think I'm joking but I know you're thinking the same thing!" The Chinese man nodded, his eyes shining. It had been a while since they had spoken, and it felt good to relive the days of fun.

Tyson sat next to him on his left while Kai was to his right. Max was across from him. The table was round and white, the tablecloth made of fine linen with a glass covering. Ray wondered why they had bothered with such materials.

Kai sipped at his tea, the warm air of the restaurant filling them all with happiness. Max leaned forward to talk to them. "I really think you should just dump her Ray, I mean come on. A woman who can't let go of you for two seconds? That sounds like a leech to me."

"It's not all bad. It's a work in progress."

"You've known her since you were kids; it's not a work in progress after that."

Ray had to sigh at this comment; Tyson had a point. If they were going to make this work, they needed to talk. "So, how have you been Tyson? Anything new?"

The sports manager smiled smugly to himself and sat back in his chair. "We made it into the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup."

"I heard." Answered Ray.

"We were close, but we ended up losing in the final section. That Tamanuchi has got some bullheadedness that needs to be worked on."

"Sounds like someone we once knew." Max replied, smiling at his friend. Tyson turned red for a second before smiling back. "You're hilarious."

It was at this time that Kai spoke. "Oh, I forgot something." The men looked at him curiously while Kai fished something out of his pocket. "These are for you guys."

They took the white envelopes out of Kai's hands, and their eyes widened. "You can't be serious!" Max exclaimed, nearly toppling over in his chair. Kai smirked, his deed was done. "It's just a small gift for friends."

Tyson laughed and put the money in his pocket. "Three thousand? Geez Kai, I thought you couldn't get any cornier."

"Don't push it."

Ray smiled and chuckled. "Regardless, it was a nice token of our friendship, thanks Kai." The man nodded towards his friends, taking another sip of his Lotus Flower tea.

"So Ray," began Max. "This restaurant, why'd you want to meet us here?" he asked, curious. Ray paused. "I'm doing a secret review on this restaurant for my own company. We plan to override this company and take possession of their restaurant. I want to do some investigating before we begin so I know what I'm getting myself into."

"Very wise." Tyson mocked, eating a small appetizer dumpling off his plate. Ray chuckled. "I want to know what I'm doing before I do it, it's the way I like to do things."

"Hey, could you refer me to some restaurants that are good in Russia?" Kai asked, coming into the conversation at last. "Why's that?"

"I just want to know." Ray smirked at him, but said nothing about it. "Alright, I'll send you an email." Max leaned back in his chair, taking in the gold and silver dragon designs on the ceiling of the restaurant. "It's a nice place I have to say, I haven't been to a restaurant in forever."

"Doing okay Max?" asked Tyson, his face full of dumpling.

Max sighed. "The shop's doing okay, but it's the money that's got me all riled up…" Tyson put a friendly hand upon the blonde man's shoulder. "Hey, if you ever need anything, you got my number." Max paused for a moment, but then smiled. "Thank you."

Ray glanced around the restaurant, the people enjoying their food as it came to them in waves. "It seems as if this restaurant receives good customer ratings, they're all getting their food out on time." He smiled. "I might end up taking this place."

"Sorry to interrupt you guys." The men looked up from their tea to see a young waitress clad in a blank classical Chinese outfit waiting for them to finish. Strangely enough, she was tan instead of white.

In her hand was a small note pad and in her hair was a pen for taking notes. She was prepared. Ray smiled at her and nodded. "You weren't interrupting at all." Tyson chuckled and held the menu to her. "Since Ray's treating, I'm taking everything."

"You bastard." Ray said playfully, nudging him. Tyson laughed and nodded his head at the waitress. "Just make sure they cook it!"

The girl nodded, and turned to Max, who ordered his usual noodles with mustard. Kai had ordered some Salisbury steak, while Ray decided to try one of the finer dishes on the menu. "I'll take the Beijing Roast Duck." He stated, handing her the menu. The waitress smiled at him and then noted down his order. "Leeks or no leeks?"

"Not a fan, no leeks."

"Alright, can I get you some soybean paste?"

"It's an option here?" The waitress nodded. "We want to make sure our customers get what they order, and not anything else. Sometimes people don't want the paste." Ray smiled when she said this. "I won't have the paste, thanks."

"Can I get you gentlemen anything else to drink? Water perhaps?"

"Water would be great." Ray replied, gazing up at her. "Okay, you're good to go, your food should be ready in about a half hour. Can I get you some appetizers while you wait?"

"You're good at this aren't you?" Ray asked, smiling up at her. The young waitress smirked back at him, crossing her arms. "I'm just a temporary employee, but yes, I do like working with food!" Ray nodded back to her, giving her the menu. "Sounds good."

Tyson rubbed his stomach as they waited for the food to come. He sat there and sighed, his stomach growling.

"You haven't changed." Max remarked, taking a sip of his tea. "It's only been three months, give me a break." Tyson replied hotly. "Oh no, he's getting crabby."

"Piss off." Kai turned his head to Tyson and shook it. "No use in getting mad over food, it's not worth it."

"Tell that to my stomach." Ray sighed as he watched his friend complain. It felt nice to have this back, even if it was just for the month. They would be staying in a hotel, none of them wanted to intrude upon Ray's personal space, and no one wanted to be a burden to him, so Ray had let them stay in one of Kai's resort hotels. It wasn't really much of a hassle. Kai had booked them a five star hotel, complete with maid service and free drinks. Life was good.

Tyson was about to complain again when a set of dumplings was set down in front of him as well as a few pieces of shrimp. He gazed up in time to see the black dress of a waitress heading out into the kitchen. Ray's brow furrowed in curiosity.

"Is this… free?" Max asked, his mouth already drooling at the sight. Tyson picked up a little note left on the plate. "According to her it is."

Ray gazed at the note, reading it aloud. "On the house." His eyes rose back to his friends, who were fighting over the dumplings they would eat. Kai had obviously picked his food and was calmly eating it in the sidelines. Ray had to wonder why she had given them free food.

"Oh man… that was excellent!" Tyson sat back in his chair, stuffed and ready to sleep. "I could take a nap right now…"

"That's how you get kidney stones." Max replied, eating the last of his noodles. Ray had finished off his food and had taken note of how many times the waitress stopped by. She had stopped every ten minutes, which was excellent timing for someone who was only a temporary employee.

"I'd say this place did pretty well." He remarked, sipping at his tea. "The food was hot, the serve was impeccable, and the drinks were fresh." Ray stood up and gathered the bill in his hand, eyeing Tyson as the blue haired man drank the last of his water. "You racked up most of the bill." Ray stated.

"I'll pay for half of it."

Ray smiled and shook his head. "Once I give them my ID, it'll all be free. So don't worry about it." Kai watched him as Ray pushed in his chair and began to walk away. "Where are you going?" Kai asked, curious. Ray looked back at him. "I want to see that waitress."

She was coming in with another order. "Hey Ying! I got another order of noodles to go! But put them on the slopes and make them do the jig! You got that?"

"Got it!"

The girl sighed and picked up the last of the orders for her table. "I swear if they put any more tables on me I think my head's going to-"

"Hi?"

The kitchen was hot, and the orders were shouted out to each other, so to hear a calm and cool voice such as his was a shock. She almost dropped her plates. Ray apologized. "I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

He was big for an Asian man, and his muscles didn't help to suit the look either. His voice made her calm down though. He gazed at her silently, waiting for her answer.

"You nearly scared the be Jesus out of me! Are you supposed to be back here?" she asked, taking her plates back into her hand. Ray smiled. "I wanted to ask you something actually." The girl set down her plates and her notepad, gazing up at him with brown eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You didn't charge us for those appetizers you gave us earlier, why did you do that?" the girl paused before answering, seeming to think. "Your friend seemed hungry."

"That's against policy."

"I know that."

"Then why'd you do it?"

"You looked hungry." She shrugged it off and tilted her head. "What's one person helping another? You just seemed hungry, that's all." Ray was about to speak when he heard crashing coming through the kitchen. An angry man with a red face stormed in, nearly knocking the hot pans and pots off their grills.

He glared at the young girl. "Kristiana! What have I told you about doing that?" Ray glanced at the young girl whose name apparently was Kristiana. She sighed and looked him in the eye. "Look, it's not like I'm stealing from you anyways, it's coming out of my paycheck, isn't it? As long as you get your money you're happy."

The man growled at her, coming closer and closer. "I don't want your money… I want all the money in the world! Don't you understand that?" Kris began to back away, nearly bumping into Ray. She looked up at him through frightful eyes. Ray growled.

"Hey, knock it off." He said, coming in front of Kris. The man growled at him as well, his eyes red. Has he been drinking?

"Who the hell are you?" the man asked, coming even closer. He reeked of alcohol. Kris hid behind Ray, her eyes angered, but her body still. Ray narrowed his eyes. "My name is Raymond Kon, the owner of Beijing's finest restaurant, and the potential owner of your restaurant here."

At his words, the man stopped, his eyes gawking. "Y-Y-You're…" Ray nodded, holding out a white slip to him. "And it seems as if you sir, have failed inspection." He growled. "Treating an employee like that in front of other workers, or even alone! And especially a part time employee, how dare you!"

Kris stared up at him, thinking in her mind. Ray shook his head. "I release you from your duties here. Pack up your stuff and get out." The man grimaced, but his drunkenness wasn't enough to make him completely foolish.

"Fine…" he staggered out, holding onto the walls as he did so. Ray breathed a sigh of relief as the rest of the workers went back to work. He turned to the small girl who was hiding behind him. "Hey, you alright?"

Kris sighed and then nodded her head, taking out her dark brown hair so it hung loose over her right eye. "Yeah, I'm fine. He just gets like that sometimes."

Ray shook his head. "Employees should never have to deal with that sort of shit. It isn't right. Especially if you're a woman." He paused for a moment. "Kristiana was it?"

Kris smiled and then nodded her head. "Yes, and I'm sorry I didn't recognize you before Mr. Kon!" she bowed to him in traditional respect style. Ray smiled and chuckled, shaking his head. "It's quite alright. My business here was strictly secret, nobody knew about it."

The girl chuckled and looked back up at him. "If I had known, I would have treated you better!"

"You were the finest waitress I had ever seen, what are you talking about?"

"I would have put more effort into my services! I'm sorry…"

"There's nothing to be sorry about, you did perfect." He smiled at her, his white fangs gleaming in the light. "Now, I give you the rest of the day off. I think you deserve it." Kris hesitated for a brief moment before giving a little shot of excitement. "Oh thank you sir! Thank you!"

Ray laughed at her excitement. "No problem, no problem at all." He replied, walking out of the kitchen doors. "Have a good day!"

Kris bowed and nodded. "Oh wait, wait!" Ray stood in the doorway, holding the doors open for waiters coming in and out. Kris had run into the freezer of the kitchen and pulled out something in a bag. "Here, these are for you Mr. Kon!"

Ray took the bag and peered inside of it. "Oh wow, onigiri?" Kris nodded vigorously, her eyes shining. "Yes! They were freshly made this morning Mr. Kon. Think of it as a present from our restaurant." Ray chuckled and closed the bag back up. "You didn't have to, you know."

"I felt like I had to!" Kris turned around and began to walk back into the kitchen. "Anyways, have a great day Mr. Kon!" she said back to him, waving her hand. Ray smiled at her, watching her go into the depths of the restaurant. His hands slipped on the door, and his body moved back to his table, where his friends were waiting for him.


	2. An Unusual Waitress

"It was nice seeing you guys again." Tyson smiled at his friends genuinely. "Yeah, tomorrow we're going to go see some sights around China. Maybe the Great Wall?"

Ray laughed at this comment. "I'd love to come with you guys, but it seems as if I've seen the Great Wall one too many times." Max put on a grin. "You LIVE here; I would expect you to have seen it every day." Ray nodded and turned to Kai, who looked back at him in silence. "You going with them Kai?"

"Someone has to babysit them."

"Oh he's still with this crap?" The men laughed together, sharing hugs and finally setting off in different directions, Ray going back home and his friends going to the hotel. He had each given them an onigiri, seeing as Kristiana put four in the bag, one for each of them. Softly, Ray got into his car and started the engine, absolutely not excited to see Mariah when he got home.

"RRAAYYY!"

_Dear God, just strike me. Right now, just strike me down right now, a lightning bolt, a car, something._ Again, Mariah had seemed to sneak into his house, and had run towards the door when he came in. Ray sighed as the little girl hugged and squeaked, her head in his chest as always. There used to be a time when he loved this, but now, all he wanted to do was push her off, preferably down a cliff.

Mariah led him by his hand to the kitchen, where again, a noodle bowl was ready for him. He put his coat into the closet, and took his hair out, letting it roam freely. It felt good to set it loose every so often.

"Don't leave your hair like that; it's going to get dirty." Ray flinched at the sound of the voice, Mariah standing behind him and already beginning to braid his long strands. "If you don't keep it tidy, it'll go everywhere." Ray growled at her, smacking her off. "Leave my hair alone!"

She took her hands away and growled back at him. "This is the repayment I get for caring about how you look?" Ray breathed in, trying to subdue his anger. "Just leave it alone. I'll take care of it later."

He moved past her and into the kitchen, where he ate his noodle bowl silently, Mariah stepping into one of the rooms. His ears perked when he heard shuffling, and he wondered what she was doing. Cautiously, he spoke. "Mariah?"

The lights in the kitchen turned off, leaving him in the dark. He blinked twice, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. Right as they did, little flames appeared around him, and a sweet scent of rose filled the air. He knew what was coming.

Mariah put a single foot into the doorway, her body coming towards him like a gracious animal, her eyes wanting. "Ray… you know… we've been together for such a long time…" Ray stared at her, wanting to run away. He wasn't even turned on by the fact she was wearing a leotard and fishnet stockings. Her bosom was out and about, and even seeing her nipples wasn't doing it for him.

Ray watched uninterested as she moved about, coming closer and closer to him, her breasts finally placing themselves on his head. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Mariah moved in front of him, leaning down so he could get a clear shot of her cleavage. He was unimpressed. "Awwww." She put her hands around his neck and kissed his forehead, her lips hot and moist. Ray was not amused.

"Get off." He pushed her off softly, but firmly. She stumbled back to her feet and stared at him, wonder in her eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked. She never knew how he felt; she never knew what was going on in his mind. This was pathetic.

"I'm tired, that's all." He replied, looking away from her and standing up. She paused, and then draped her shirt over herself, finally putting her pants back on. "I see… another hard day?" it wasn't all that hard, he just didn't want to deal with her.

Ray nodded at her, and then put a hand upon her. "Shouldn't you head home? Won't Lee be worried?" Mariah smiled at him, licking his hand. "Yeah, but it's okay. I can make him wait." Ray flinched at the lick, her saliva dripping from his hand. She was trying to get him to feel aroused, and she was failing miserably. He groaned.

It was a while until Mariah left, and when she did, he prayed a thank you to God and went to his bed, covering himself up with the sheets. He was about to sleep when a certain thought came into his mind. He had forgotten to eat the little gift Kristiana had given him in the bag. Ray shrugged and went back into the kitchen, flicking the lights on and looking about for the bag. It was on the counter, and he picked it up, peering inside.

The onigiri was round and perfect, with a little bit of seaweed wrapped around it. He smiled and took a bite out of it. It melted into his mouth, the delicious rice exploding with flavor in his mouth. It was really good; it was the best dessert he had ever eaten in fact. Ray stared at it, and then shoved the rest into his mouth. It was one of the best things he had eaten in a while, and it reminded him of the restaurant.

Oh wait, of course it's going to remind me of the restaurant, that waitress gave it to me! Ray smiled as he ate the rest of it, munching on it slowly, not wanting the flavor to go away. As soon as he was done, he strode off to the bathroom, washed his face and mouth, and then went back off to his bed, prepared to sleep.

He had already made arrangements to have the restaurant remodeled as well as bought by tomorrow morning. Starting tomorrow, he would have possession of the restaurant, and all the funds that came with it. It wasn't a bad investment at all. I got a whole restaurant that has the same number of stars mines does… As he lay there, in his bed, his brain thought and thought. It was going to be a good day tomorrow, and he knew that this was a decision he wasn't going to regret. Slowly, he closed his eyes, and turned his head into the pillow that he slept on.

Mariah had slept on his pillow too.

"OH FUCK!"

He walked into the restaurant, his business suit ready and the briefcase he had dangling at his side. One woman looked up from her dishes. "Oh, good morning Mr. Kon!"

Ray nodded at her, and set down his briefcase upon one of the tables. He sat down and opened up his laptop, the black and silver streaked machine ready and buzzing. He glanced around the room, examining all the people who were working.

"Can I get you some water?"

"Yes, thank you." A giggle came as his reply. His eyes widened. "Wait a second…" he knew that voice. Ray turned his head to see the waitress smiling down at him. His mouth widened into a smile as well. "Morning."

Kristiana chuckled. "Good morning Mr. Kon. I'll have your water out in a minute." She walked away from him, Ray watching her as she entered into the kitchen. He was curious as to where she came from. Her skin tone was darker than anybody he had seen before, and her hair was a deep brown almost black shade. When she comes out, I'll have to ask her.

The waiters moved around and picked up the dishes, the construction workers moving in and asking Ray where to put the decorations. Ray glanced at the main worker, who had blueprints in hand. "Now, we need something to attract the customers to make them come in, so how about golden dragons in the front?"

"Can do sir, sounds like a plan."

"I would also like a little bit more atmosphere in this place, it seemed glamorous, but there needs to be more livelihood." He paused. "I say we put in a fish tank, with catfish, and tuna, and a shrimp."

The constructor nodded his head, pointing towards the ceiling and the walls. "We'll have to reroute the water system into the walls, we're getting it from the wells."

"Do whatever you have to, but I want that fish tank." The man walked away, leaving Ray to his laptop and the floor manager to speak with him next. Ray wanted white tiles, so that it was easy to move around and the floor would be sleek. It would change the uppity atmosphere this restaurant seemed to present. The walls were torn down, machines were placed everywhere, and the construction of the new restaurant began.

It would take a while to finish this off, so Ray decided to get to know his staff better. He closed his laptop and put it back in his briefcase, carrying it with him as he stepped into the kitchen.

The waiters and cooks all stopped when they saw him walk in, the air of business and boss floating all around him and wafting in their nostrils. "Alright, mandatory meeting in the lounge in five minutes."

"What do you think he wants?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Do you think he's going to fire us?"

"Not a chance. He saw how we did last night. He was smiling the entire night." The people were talking about nervously, afraid of what was going to happen next. They weren't sure if Ray would fire them or not, and for many of them, this job was the only thing they had. Their previous boss had taken a lot away from them, and they were sure that under Ray's jurisdiction, things would turn out for the better.

He stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. The room was lighted with sunlight, and the people stopped their murmuring. He set down his briefcase upon one of the tables there. His eyes glanced over at all of them, looking them over and spotting Kristiana amongst them. She was in the back, clearly standing out from all of them.

Ray took out a notepad from his briefcase and walked towards them, the waiters and waitresses lining up in order. "I'll take down your names, and then the meeting will begin." Slowly, he began the process of writing down each one of their names, along with their gender and their job when the previous owner was still in charge. What he also asked, was how they had gotten hired there. Most of them responded with the interview process and seeing a wanted ad in the window, but alas, when he came to Kristiana, her answer was different.

"Name?"

"Kristiana Soler."

"Female… waitress… part time…" he wrote down on his pad. Kris was staring off into space; maybe perhaps it was because of his intimidating way. He glanced down at her. "No worries, you're not going to get fired or anything."

Kris smirked when he said this. "That isn't what I'm worried about." Ray gazed at her curiously before dropping it and asking her a different question. "How did you get here?" Kris paused and then answered thinking and choosing her words carefully. "Well… you see, I came here because I needed some money in order to buy things that I wanted, like a new mp3 player, a few clothes, and things like that. That's the only reason why I'm here. Other than that, I find that this job is a lot of fun, regardless of what people think of it."

He smiled and wrote down her answer. "Alright, thank you." She nodded her head, and he walked past her, examining the tables around him, as well as the glass.

"Your first assignment is to clean all this up, take everything out and put it in the garbage." The workers murmured in reply, unsure of what he meant. "We have to start fresh." He replied, turning to them.

The workers didn't move, and instead murmured amongst themselves, unsure of his intentions. Was he going to ruin the restaurant and all it stood for? They weren't willing to work for him just yet, he had to gain their trust.

"Hey, you heard him." A deep voice emerged from the girl standing behind them all. Kristiana had a plate in her hand, as well as some utensils in the other. "He said we have to clean this up, so let's do it!" she threw the plate and the utensils in a plastic garbage she had with her, and continued to do the same to the other tables.

The workers looked at her incredulously. Was she serious? But nevertheless, one by one, they came to her aide, picking up plates and throwing away what was left of the old restaurant. In a way, it was a release for all of them, as the previous owner had been unkind to them, and they were not very fond of him.

Ray watched as they followed his orders, and even made fun of the job. Laughter erupted from them as a few of the workers made jokes and even raced to see who could throw away things the fastest. It was strange, all of this came about because of one girl who decided to stand up and say something to the rest. His eyes wandered to Kris, who was smiling as she threw some glass away. He was even more curious about her now.

"Alright don't forget your bonuses on your way out and be sure to be here tomorrow morning at seven sharp!" the workers couldn't thank him enough for the generosity he had shown them. He had raised their pay by double, almost bringing some of them to tears, and had reduced their hours by only a few per day. Ray was grateful that he had gotten their trust now, and since he had, he could rely on them to come for work the very next day. He was certain of that.

As Kristiana walked by him, he put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at his touch, but gazed up at him through one eye. "Can I get you a drink?"

"What did you want to talk about Mr. Kon?" she held a small cup of tea in her hand, her elbows on the railing of the park they were at that looked over the ocean. It was a beautiful sunset, and Ray had invited her to have a cup of coffee with him. Kris stared at him with curious eyes as he stood next to her, in the same position.

He looked out into the sunset and smiled. "I wanted to know a little bit about you. Your resume said a lot." Kris smiled back at him, nodding her head. "I worked various jobs until I came upon this one. I liked the way the people interacted with one another in there; it made me feel at home." Ray stole a glance at her as she chuckled.

"It made you feel at home?"

"Yes sir! It made me feel very welcome and it felt like we were family!" she took a sip of her tea and sighed. "It's good." She then stared back out into the sunset. "It's pretty, isn't it?" she asked, gazing at it. Ray chuckled a bit and replied back. "It is…" he paused, and then continued. She was clad in her waitress outfit, and her hair was down again, hanging over her right eye.

"How old are you if you don't mind me asking?"

"Probably younger than you."

Ray smirked at her little insult. "Really? How old do you think I am?" he asked her, turning to her fully. Kris giggled and held up her hands. "I would say almost mid twenties?"

"Oh wow!" he laughed. "Close! I'm only twenty four, one year off."

"Ah. I have a knack for those things." She replied, turning back to the sunset. Ray sighed and turned back to the sunset as well. "You still haven't answered my question." Now it was Kris's turn to laugh. "I'm nineteen."

"Five years younger than me. Not bad at all."

"Well, I DO have to go through college and all that first."

"First year?"

"Yes sir. Studying pharmacy."

"What a goal…"

"It's alright. I'm not too happy with it." Ray's eyes drifted to her when she said this. There was sadness to her voice. "What do you mean? Don't you go to college to study what you want to study?" his eyes were confused, and his brow was furrowed.

Kris sighed and sipped at the last of her tea. "It's not that it's just… my family wants the best for me. They push for the medical field but…" she trailed off, leaving Ray to wonder. "Anyways," she threw away the cup that her tea was in and smiled at him. "It was nice talking to you Mister Kon; I hope I can impress you with my skills in the restaurant!"

Ray smiled at her fondly. "You already impressed me earlier, why do you keep saying that?"

"I feel like I have to. How else do I talk to my new boss?" Ray flushed at her words; she was right. Kris bowed to him again, and turned to leave when Ray spoke again. "Hang on a second."

Kris stopped and turned back to him, her eyes shimmering in the light. "Yes?" Ray gathered his thoughts before speaking, he wasn't sure if he was right but…

"They don't serve onigiri at the restaurant, do they?" the young girl froze in her tracks, and bit her lip. "W-What do you mean?" she asked, faking a smile. Ray knew better than to fall for that. "Where did you get the onigiri?" he asked, coming closer to her.

Kris backed up a bit, but then submitted to his intimidation. "I-I… made it… myself…" she shook her head. "I'm sorry it was wrong of me to do that to you Mister Kon!" she hid her face. "Take it out of my paycheck if you want, I deserve it anyways."

Ray put a hand on her arm softly. "Calm down, that wasn't what I was going to say." The girl gazed up into his eyes, and her face froze in confusion. "What…"

"Needs a little bit more salt." Kris blinked four times before she finally breathed. Was he…complimenting her? The man who was on television for his recipes? The man who owned three five star restaurants?

Ray nodded and turned away, taking a last look at her. "I'll see you tomorrow at seven in the morning! Don't be late!" he smiled as he walked away. A little voice called back out to him. "You can count on it!"


	3. Company

"Sounds like you guys had fun." Ray sighed and sat down on his couch. When he had come home, again, it seemed as if Mariah had snuck her way into his house, and again… she pounced on him. Maybe I should consider putting in a security system.

He held the cell phone to his ear and breathed. "I wish I had gone with you guys, like I said, it sounds like you had fun." He heard chuckling on the other line. "It was alright. Tyson kept complaining about the weather and how the clouds were blocking his view."

"He didn't bother to check the weather did he?"

"Not at all." Ray laughed and shook his head, fingering the couch a bit. "Classical Tyson." He paused. "Anyways, are you coming back tomorrow? What are your plans?"

"Well we were actually planning to come see you, see if you wanted to go a Rave or something."

"Aren't we a little old for that Max?"

"Says who? It would be fun!" Ray chuckled and nodded his head, eager at the thought. "Alright. Where should we meet?"

He had told them when and where to meet, and now he had something to look forward to after work. This would also give him an excuse not to come home and see Mariah. As he undressed himself, he began to wonder about the waitress again. What was it about her that made him confused? Ray sat down upon his bed, the light from his lamp very faint and coming off the walls softly.

_She's tan… clearly she isn't Asian at all. But then again, she could be Philippine._ Ray continued to ponder and ponder, wondering what someone like her was doing here. He wasn't going to think about it much though, as he was indeed tired. _Nineteen years old, and…_ He was also confused on her answer to him. If she was studying pharmacy… then why was she so sad when he had asked her about it?

Putting his head upon his pillow that he had bought earlier (he had burned the other one), Ray's eyes closed as his mind drifted into a state of sleep and peace. He had to know more.

"Put that more off to the left…" he pointed towards one of the corners in the restaurant and the men moved the couch off to the side. "Perfect." Ray smiled as the couch was set down and the workers removed the rugs from the floor. "Keep going, I want all of this removed."

The renovations were going along rather well, and he was happy with the progress. They had already rerouted the water, inserted the tank, and even taken out some of the tiles. He was paying them well, so he expected this kind of progress. It would be another three days of this, but soon it would all pay off.

As he surveyed the restaurant, he noticed that the workers had become much friendlier with him, even wishing him a good day as they passed by. It was interesting how one simple teamwork assignment could affect people. His golden eyes finally set down upon a certain waitress with long dark hair.

"Kristiana!" she turned to him almost instantly and smiled at him, her eyes shining. "Good morning Mr. Kon!" she bowed as he came closer to her, smiling as he did so.

"How're you?" he asked, gazing at her. Kris sighed and smiled sadly. "A little tired, I think I slept wrong last night because my shoulder is in a little bit of pain." She flexed her shoulder and he could see pain cross her face. "But it's alright. I took some medication this morning and I'll be okay for the rest of the day!"

Ray tilted his head and put a hand on her shoulder, pressing down on it a little. She flinched in pain, but kept her composure. He looked at her curiously, holding onto her arm. "Where else does it hurt?" he asked, running his hand down to her elbow.

Kris closed her eyes and almost doubled over, but for some reason she was stubborn enough to remain standing. Now Ray was on high alert, what could have been hurting her? He stared at her through determined eyes. He knew something was wrong.

"Go home." He said at last, taking his hand from her arm. Kris rubbed her arm and stared up at him. "But I said I was fi-"

"That's an order." Kris shut her mouth when he interrupted her, a cold stare bringing her to shiver. Ray's eyes softened as he breathed out. He licked his lips, and then looked back at her. "Meet me in front in ten minutes." With that, he turned his heel and left, his heart not being able to bear the look of pain that crossed her face. It was stuck in his memory.

"Mr. Kon please, I told you I'm okay! Why won't you let me work?" she pleaded with him. They were outside the restaurant, standing in front of it. He pursed his lips and took her arm in his hand. "Hey! Let go!" she struggled against him, but only a little. It was obvious her arm was killing her, and Ray was determined to find out why.

He led her away from the busy restaurant, telling the construction workers that he would be back in an hour. Kris tried to pull away from him all the way, but she was never strong enough. After some time, she decided that it was better just to allow him to drag her along. When she stopped her pulling, he let go, instructing her to follow him. She obeyed.

Finally, Ray stopped in front of a park bench. He had led her to the local park, where they had gone earlier yesterday. Kris stopped in front of him, gazing at him silently.

"What happened to your arm, tell me the truth."

"I told you I slept wrong!"

"That doesn't affect your entire arm." Kris paused, looking away from him and thinking about her response. "Kristiana." He addressed her fully. "I asked for an answer."

Her feet took a step backwards, and she almost didn't answer him. She murmured something inaudible to him. "What?" he asked, leaning down to her. He had folded his arms across his chest, and now his hands were almost upon her arms again.

"I said I got into a fight!" Ray raised his eyes to hers and a look of disbelief crossed his face. "You… got into a fight." He mimicked. Kris nodded. "I got into a fight… I didn't start it." Ray wasn't convinced. He knew that there was something she was hiding from him, but he wasn't sure what it was.

"I will not have one of my workers coming in with injuries. Now tell me, how did this fight happen?" Kris shook her head at him, refusing to answer. "I said I'm fine."

"That wasn't my question." He hated to be mean to her, but in this case, he knew he had to. Just the look in her eyes was enough to make his heart ache with sorrow. He had to know.

Slowly, she answered him. "It was late when I got home… and my… neighbor… he doesn't like loud noises… and he got mad that I came home that late… but it wasn't my fault! My shift ends really late!" her eyes were wide, and he knew the truth was coming now. He had been waiting for this.

"What did he do?" Ray braced himself for the worst, and alas, his hunches were right. "Well…" she began, "He… he was a little mad that night and he uh…" Ray's eyes narrowed.

"He attacked you." Kris merely nodded her head, her face reddening. "I mean I know I come in late but I seriously tried to be as quiet as possible! It was really hard…"

It was then that Ray pulled on her arm and thrust her sleeve back to her shoulder so he could see the entire arm. Kris yelped when he did this, almost pulling away from him. What he saw made his pupils dilate into slits.

All along her arm were various bruises and cuts, most of which had been bandaged long ago, but he could still see the black and blue of most of the damage done.

"I-I fought him off obviously but… I came out with some… harm…" she trailed off, knowing it was useless to argue with her boss. Ray growled to himself, and stood back up, releasing her arm.

Kris took her arm back and rubbed it hastily, the red dying down from her face. She gazed up at the angered Ray, who hadn't said a word to her. Something had to be done, and he knew that it was beyond his jurisdiction to get involved. But… there was something about her that made him think…

"Where do you live?" the Latin girl blinked twice; she wasn't sure what he was thinking. "Where do you live I said." His voice came out more forceful now, but she knew that he was angry, and the best thing to do with angry people was to just go along with whatever plan they had. As she explained to him where she lived, she saw him take out his cell phone and text somebody, and she was wondering who exactly he was texting, and why he had asked her where she lived.

"Come with me." he said, motioning her to follow. "And don't even think about going back to work." Kris had no choice but to follow this lunatic to his car, and even as they passed the restaurant, he dismissed everyone he came in contact with, saying he had some business to take care of. When they got in the car, Ray strapped himself in the drivers' seat and paused before continuing. "I'm sorry I was rough with you, but I wanted to know what was going on."

Kris nodded her head silently, her hands rubbing over the surface of the fine leather seats. Ray shifted into drive, and as he started off, Kris gazed at him with eyes that only she could have. He knew he had done her a favor.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, I don't have much." They were inside her apartment, and Ray had told her to pack her things. He had insisted that she move out and go someplace else. He knew that if this kept on, she wouldn't show up one day, and that… he wasn't sure he could handle that. He set the two bags down on the ground.

"Are you sure that's it?" Kris sighed as she locked her door, and returned the key to its' little holder. She turned to him and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. Please stop asking me that Mr. Kon." Ray tilted his head and smiled at her softly. "I'm only making sure."

He took the bags again and began to proceed down the stairs, Kris in the back of him. He heard her stop and he glanced up, wondering what it was. "What is it?" Kris shook her head and rushed down the stairs, running past him. Ray watched silently.

"Moving out?"

"Yes. I… found a new place."

"Oh well, good to have you here deary. Bye-bye now!" Kris smiled at the woman behind the desk and walked out the door to see Ray talking on the phone with someone.

"Tyson I'm sorry. She needed my help and I think I was the only person who knew… I know she's just an employee but that doesn't matter!... Alright… I'll see you tomorrow." He hung up his phone in time to see Kris walking towards him. He smiled at her.

"Everything alright?" the girl smiled back at him sadly. "Yes… but… where am I going to go now? I have no other arrangements and I can't drive so…" Ray pursed his lips as he thought about her words. "You have no other place to go?"

"I do not." He thought some more before he stuffed her things into his trunk. "What are you doing?" she cried out, running towards the car. Ray snapped the trunk shut before she got to it. "I'm taking you home." He stated, walking to the driver's seat. "Hop in."

Kris really wasn't in control of this situation, and she knew that he was trying to help her. She had to wonder why he was so nice to her, and why he wanted to help her. She sat down on the seat and buckled herself in, gazing at Ray as she did so.

He began to drive, and when they were halfway to wherever their destination was, Kris had to ask. "Mr. Kon? May I ask you a question?"

"You may, you don't have to ask if you can ask." He replied with a chuckle. Kris flushed, but continued with her statement. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

The question hung in the air for a minute or two. He had to think about his answer, seeing as she was a curious girl and wanted an honest answer. Why wouldn't he give her an honest answer? She had given him a kindness, and now, he had repaid it.

"Someone once mentioned something about helping others out, even when the consequences are severe." Kris tilted her head, her nose twitching with confusion. Ray merely chuckled and continued on, knowing that his debut had been repaid.

"I can't do this."

"Yes you can. There's nothing wrong with it."

"But… you're my boss! There HAS to be a law about this somewhere…"

"There isn't." Kris sighed and put a hand on the door, looking around the house. Ray had made sure that Mariah was nowhere to be found, and had headed upstairs already; setting down her bags in the empty room he had for guests. "What if somebody asks questions?"

"They won't." the girl wasn't so easily convinced. "But… what do I have to do? I mean… all I do is work and I don't really want to intrude in your living space…"

"Don't worry about it." He came back from the empty room and looked down upon the Latin girl standing nervously in the doorway. Ray smiled at her gently.

"Go into your room and get some rest. You had an eventful day." It was true; it had taken them the entire day to get to her apartment and back, with her packing everything in a matter of two hours. It had been something Ray never thought he would have to do, but nonetheless, he had done it all the same. One good deed deserved another.

Kris headed up into the empty room and closed the door behind her, Ray smiling as he watched her walk in. When she had vanished, he went into his own room and sat down upon his bed, taking off his business clothes and putting on some sweats and a simple tee shirt.

After a few minutes, he knocked on her door. "Are you hungry?" the answer came in the form of the door opening. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a hoodie sweater; casual attire for her new home.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." She replied, smiling back at him. Ray returned the smiled and chuckled. "What do you want?"

"Don't you think you work hard enough?" she asked. She sidestepped the confused Ray as she made her way into the kitchen. "I was going to make you something to eat." She opened up the refrigerator and peered inside, her eyes scanning the drawers and shelves. "What do you like?"

Ray stepped up behind her and leaned down next to her. "Whatever you want to make me. You were hired for a reason right?" Kris laughed at his comment and took some ingredients out of the fridge, closing it behind her and getting to work. "Go watch TV or something, I need to work." Ray chuckled and exited the kitchen, sitting down upon the couch in his living room.

It wasn't long before the smell of food came and forced Ray to put down the book he was reading. He walked into the kitchen, and found that food was everywhere. "What…"

There were plantains laid out, yellow rice and beans, steak and even some garlic. Kris whirled around in surprise as he came closer to her. "What is all this?" he asked, looking at the foreign food.

"Oh… it's… you never had Hispanic food?" she asked, whisking the rice a little more. Ray shook his head soundly. "No, I don't think I ever had. I remember visiting Madrid when I was young, but I didn't really have anything purely Hispanic." He examined the plantains set out on the table and picked one up.

"Why are they hard? Aren't they supposed to be soft?" he asked, smelling it suspiciously. "No, no, no. You're eating it wrong!" Kris took the plantain from his hands and put some mashed garlic on it, giving it back to him. "Here, try it now."

He bit into the plantain, and immediately his eyes widened. He munched on it more and as he did, he went to go take more. Kris pulled the plate away from him. "You're not eating here." She said with a smile. Ray returned the smile and went to go sit down at the dining room table, his stomach already screaming for more of whatever it was she had cooked up.

He ate nearly everything three times. Kris could only watch in disbelief as Ray inhaled everything in sight, not even bothering sometimes to come up for air. She had to ask him multiple times to breathe, or his face would have exploded. At the end of the meal, Kris sipped at her water as Ray sat back in his chair, his eyes shining and a smile upon his face.

"What did I just eat?" he asked finally, sitting back up to face her. Kris smiled and giggled a little bit before answering. "Well, I made platano with arroz con gandules and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on a second." Ray stopped her in mid sentence. "You speak Spanish?" Kris paused for a second, but then replied.

"Yes, I do. I know three languages Mr. Kon." She answered, swallowing. Ray put a finger to his lips. "Why isn't that on your resume?"

"There isn't a 'How many languages to do you speak' section." Ray chuckled a bit, and took a sip of water, clearing his throat. He was right. She was Hispanic, and that explained her tan skin. "Well, repeat that to me, but in a language I can understand."

Kris laughed and then nodded her hand, sipping at her water again. "I made yellow rice with some chick peas, as well as fried plantains, Salisbury steak soaked in gravy with onions and peppers, and some mashed garlic to go with the plantains."

Ray leaned in to her. They were sitting on opposite sides of the table, so he looked straight into her eyes. "All of that is Hispanic food?" the girl nodded at him, cleaning up after him and herself. "All of it. My mother taught me how to cook, so I figured I would show you some of… what I can do." She walked into the kitchen and set down the plates, already beginning to wash them and clean them.

"You certainly cook well. I have to say, I haven't had a home cooked meal in forever." Ray got up and pushed his chair in, taking his glass and sipping the last of his water. He looked around the kitchen, in hopes of finding something to do. "Can I help you with something?"

"No, no, it's quite alright. I feel obligated to do something for you, since you were so nice to me earlier today…" Kris smiled sadly to herself, Ray noticing the little aura of sadness emanating from her. Softly, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"There isn't any need to thank me," he replied, smiling at her. "It was just the right thing to do." Kris looked back at him over her shoulder, and her face reddened. "Mr. Kon…"

Before she could speak, he turned away from her, waving her a good night. "There's water in the fridge if you need it, and the bathroom is to your left. Have a good night!" Kris could only watch as he made his way to his bedroom. She smiled in the silence, and knew somehow, Ray had managed to make himself a space in her heart.


	4. A First

"So, now this girl is staying with you?"

"I know, it's weird right? Who knew that I would bring home one of my workers?"

"Well it seems to me you're going to have some explaining to do once Mariah gets a hold of you."

"That's what I fear the most…" laughter came from the other side of the line. Ray smiled at his friend and lay down upon his bed. The morning had come and since it was still early, he hadn't headed off to work just yet. The sunlight was bright as it shone through his windows, and he knew today was going to be a good day.

"So, what're your plans? Do you want to meet up again?"

"Yeah, I want to tell you guys more about this girl… I think there's something up with her. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I'll find out eventually."

"Sounds good Ray, see you then."

"See you later Tyson." He clicked off his phone, and then stared at his ceiling. The white of the walls making his eyes wander and slowly, it turned his brain into a maze of colors and visions that only he could see. It was peaceful, and he liked having white walls only in his room. It made him happy to know that he had somewhere where he could get away from the world, and think to himself, and have his own time. It was something every man needed, and he was no exception.

Eventually though, a strange smell filled his nostrils as he lay there in his deep state of mind. It came slowly, and it was heavy, but delicious smelling at the same time. He sniffed a bit before sitting up, his hair loose and flowing all around him. He was still in his pajamas, so he decided to put on some pants before heading out to see what the smell was.

Walking towards the kitchen in only sweatpants, he peeked his head through the doorway to see the little waitress up and about already, wearing a red napkin around her head, a tank top and a pair of sweatpants. Her hands were busy working with the pots and pans around her, the smell of eggs and bacon identifying the strange aroma he encountered earlier.

He smiled and approached her, eyeing the delicious food. "It's been a while since I had breakfast at home."

To his surprise, she jumped up in surprise like a rabbit, nearly dropping her utensil and yelping at the same time. Ray's eyes widened as he saw her jump with fright. "Did I scare you?"

Kris breathed heavily as she stared up at him. "I'm sorry… I just didn't expect you coming." She smiled and shook her head. "But what am I talking about? I'm in your house after all!"

She handed him a plate filled with eggs and bacon and ushered him towards the table. "I cooked you some breakfast too, just to repay you for last night." Ray pulled his chair out and plopped himself down in front of the food she had given him.

"Mr. Kon, what would you like to drink? Water? Milk? Coffee perhaps?" Ray laughed at her eagerness and smiled at her. "Some coffee would be fine."

Almost immediately after he spoke, Kris had come to him with a cup of coffee, ready and set to go. It was still hot as well. Ray gazed at her incredulously. "Wow… you certainly know how to time everything."

Kris nodded her head. "I had a lot of experience with the food, so I know when's a good time to bring out certain entrees and drinks." She bowed respectfully to him. "Please enjoy it Mr. Kon!"

As the man began to eat, he realized that it had been forever since he had breakfast at his own house, and he took the time to look outside. He had never realized how beautiful a scenery he had when he had first gotten this house. Ray set down his fork for a second, just gazing out into the sky. It was beautiful, the grass was green as emeralds, and the flowers he had planted were in full bloom. He appreciated it now that he had time to look at it. It was weird, but for some reason, he liked the feeling of doing absolutely nothing.

It took a while for him to go and get back to his food, but it had made him think all the way. Ray set a mental note, he had to go out more often and see sights.

The clattering of dishes broke his trance. Kris was cleaning up the kitchen, dumping out whatever crud was in the pots and saving the oil in a container. She washed all of the dishes, and even took the plate away when he was done, as well as his coffee.

"That was good. Really good." He commented, getting up from his seat. Kris smiled back at him, her eyes concentrated upon the dishes she had in her hand. "Thank you Mr. Kon. I take pride in my work."

Ray walked past the kitchen and then back into his own room, calling to her from behind the door. "I'm taking a personal day, so I'll drop you off and then come back and pick you up, is that alright?"

Laughter was his main reply. "You're my boss, you do what you think is right." Ray shook his head, a smile upon his face, and shut his door.

"I'm telling you it's weird!" Tyson nodded his head at his own comment, sipping at his latte. They were in a local café, the men back together once again, and this time, the topic was Ray and Ray only.

"I have to agree with Tyson there, it does seem weird that this girl comes out of nowhere and you let her into your house. Don't you think Mariah is going to get upset over that?" Max added, gazing into his hazelnut coffee.

"There isn't anything wrong with it. The only problem here is Mariah. If she finds out that there's a girl other than her living in Ray's house, she's going to have a fit." Kai replied, taking a gulp of his dark coffee.

Ray sighed and drank his coffee, a disgusted look crossing his face. Tyson tilted his head. "What's wrong? You were the one that recommended this place." Ray nodded his head, but set aside the hot drink. "I know but…" he paused for a moment. "I had coffee this morning, and Kris made it."

The men all raised their brows at once at him, knowing where this was going. "Let me guess, hers was better?" Kai asked a silent smirk on his face. Ray didn't want to admit it, but it was true. "It was! I don't know what she did, but whatever she makes or cooks it's just…" he paused again, trying to form his words.

"Dinner last night was amazing! I don't think I've ever had something like that in my life! It was all foreign food too! With yellow rice and steak and…" he trailed off, realizing that the others were smirking at him.

"What?" His face was red, and he had no idea how strong his voice had come off. "Sounds like Ray found himself a little maid." Tyson sneered, drinking his coffee.

"It's nothing like that!" Ray retorted, glaring back at him. Tyson nodded, calming himself. "I know, I know. I was just kidding." Silence filled the air for a few moments before Ray spoke again.

"I don't know. She seems nice enough. There's just something weird about it. She says that she's Hispanic, and that she went to a pharmacy college to study, but where's the nearest pharmacy college here? We're in Beijing, and the college is far off, almost a two hour drive. Why would she stay here of all places?"

"She couldn't possibly live here. She would have mentioned that by now, wouldn't she?" asked Max, feeling curious about the strange situation. "I mean think about it for a second. If she was living here, don't you think she would have gone home by now? Why would she need to live in an apartment?"

"On top of that, there's no mention of why she's working in the restaurant in the first place. When does she find time to study for her exams while she's in there?" Kai added.

His friends had a point. This was a strange girl indeed. He knew close to nothing about her, and he had given her a place in his house. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all.

"Regardless, I feel like I can get to know what she's thinking. I mean, she IS working in my restaurant after all. She has to open up to me sooner or later." Kai glanced at Ray, who was speaking with a low voice. He had a feeling that Ray was thinking something, and he wasn't sure if it was good or not.

"You need to know her story Ray. Don't get yourself into something that you can't get out of." Ray lifted his head to see Kai staring at him gently, his face set on him. "You need to get to know her, even if she is just an employee. Things could turn out differently."

It took him a moment, but Ray smiled at Kai fondly, his eyes softening. "For some reason, you always know what to say." Kai flushed a little, and his hand moved towards Ray's, who took it softly. Tyson and Max exchanged glances. "Should we… leave you two be?"

Ray and Kai both snapped back to reality and turned their heads away from each other, their faces red and their mouths shut. The other men laughed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ray peeked at Kai, who was also peeking at him. Under the table, two hands were clasped tightly together, a faded spark silently glowing in the darkness.

"I've wanted to talk to you."

"You always want to talk to me." he replied, rolling his eyes. She pouted at him and meowed a little bit. "But RAAAYYYY we haven't spent any time together!" she pleaded with him, pulling on his shirt and holding onto his arm. Ray had left his companions earlier, seeing as it was getting close to closing time in his restaurant, and was heading back when he receieved a call from Mariah. Of course, knowing him, he had to answer, and sure enough she had dragged him into one of the pawn shops along the way to his restaurant. He dreaded this.

Mariah was wearing all pink, as usual, and Ray was in his business attire. He had had no intention of seeing Mariah today, as he was not in the mood for her shenanigans and was in absolutely not ever in the mood to hear her voice. He wanted to rip his ears off.

She clung to him like a leech and dragged into him a perfume shop, which made him cough and gag. Mariah turned around to see him holding his nose and waving his hand. "It's so stuffy in here… why'd we come in here?"

"I wanted to see about this new perfume!" she was oblivious to his hatred of the various smells and proceeded to spray some perfume in his face. Ray reeled backwards and flew out of the shop, gasping for air. Mariah followed after him. "That's what I was thinking too. It's too strong."

Ray growled and cursed under his breath as Mariah led him away again to a different shop, which had various pink items lying around. He wanted to die. He really wanted to die.

"Oh look how cute!" she picked up a pink and fluffy teddy bear, hugging it to her chest. Ray sighed and looked around, trying not to lose his mentality while he was still living. He wanted to get out of here, and he would have given anything to have grown a pair of wings then and there to fly him out through the roof. The pink was swirling around him, almost making him faint. He was getting a headache.

They traveled deeper and deeper into the store, and as they did so, Ray was thinking up excuses on how to get out of here before he REALLY went crazy. Mariah had picked up some pink underwear, laced with pink fluff and lined with pink polka dots. "What do you think?" she purred, ushering him closer than he already was to her. "For our little date nights?"

The truth was, they hadn't even had sex yet, and here she was, assuming that he was going to put his treasure into HER. Never ever, ever in a million years would he submit his only mini me to that creature. He pushed her off and began to walk away, annoyed with the situation and already starting to show his agitation.

Mariah followed him and clung to him again, nuzzling her head inside of his arm. Ray growled down at her, and only this time did Mariah follow his lead.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking at him through those brown eyes that he hated ever so much. Ray composed himself and took a look at his watch. God had saved him.

"I actually have to get going; I have to go back to work. I won't be home until late." Lying through his teeth had worked, as Mariah nodded and slunk back, a frown upon her face. "We don't spend that much time together anymore Ray."

_I'm grateful for that. _

"It's alright. We'll work something out later. Anyways, I have to go." He turned hastily and walked out, leaving a distraught Mariah in his wake. She looked after him, and something crept into her mind.

She was still cleaning up when he came. Ray glanced at his watch a little puzzled. She wasn't supposed to be working at this hour.

"Kris?" she whirled around and nearly dropped her plate. "M-Mr. Kon!" she set down her things hastily and stared at the ground. She was nervous, he could tell. He spoke directly.

"Why are you still working? It's past your hours." The girl lifted her head a little and smiled weakly at him. "I just… I just wanted to help… I'm not asking for pay or anything… I just wanted to help out…" she paused. "Kisa looked like she needed a little help in cleaning up so I thought I could…" she trailed off, knowing it was useless.

"I'm sorry. I'll… I'll stay to my hours." She bowed forcefully to him, her eyes closed tightly and her hands at her front. Ray smiled softly at her and bought her back up. He stared into her eyes and found that they were a deep brown color, almost black. They shimmered like stars, and for a second he almost got lost in them.

"You don't have to worry about that. You do more than your share of work around here. I'm not going to do anything to your pay, nor am I going to tell anyone else." He replied, taking his hand from her shoulder.

Kris shivered and looked away. "All I seem to do is get in trouble…" she said almost to herself. "Maybe I'm more trouble than I'm worth…"

Ray's eyes widened and he grasped her shoulders with her hands, shaking her forcefully. "No, no! That isn't it at all! You're no trouble at all." He spoke quickly, almost hastily. "You're one of the best workers I've ever had, why would you think that?" he stopped.

_Her eyes, they're… _

He stepped back a little, the restaurant becoming quiet. Everyone had seen his ordeal, and he stood there, his only focus the little girl in front of him. Ray swallowed hard.

Kris had her eyes to the floor, her head shaking back and forth. She was silent, and the tears hit the floor. Thinking quickly, Ray took her by the arm and ran outside, Kris following him almost dumbly.

He ran to his car, the only safe place he could think of, and looked at her. She hadn't said a word, but she didn't have to. Ray bit his lip, his heart pounding madly in his chest.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, gazing at her. Kris shook her head. "I'm sorry…" she replied, looking up at him. A pain struck through his chest as he saw her face. Tear stricken and forlorn were the only words that came up in his mind.

_Screw it. I don't care if I'm her boss!_ Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close to him. Her head was pressed against his beating heart, just barely, and her body had stopped shaking. Ray held her close, his breathing calm, but his heart beating a mile a minute.

His eyes gazed down at her softly, Kris frozen in place. Their bodies warmed each other up, and Ray could feel her beginning to move beneath his arms. "M-M…" he hushed her, stroking her hair with his hand. _It's so soft…_

Ray spoke gently, his eyes fixated upon her. "Are you alright?" Kris closed her eyes and looked up at him, a soft smile upon her face. She nodded her head, giggling a bit. "I'll be fine. I just…" she paused, the look of sadness crossing her face again. "I just thought that I was more trouble than I was worth… I'm sorry if I worried you."

Ray sighed and shook his head to her, bringing her face up to his with his finger. "You're not any trouble at all, don't worry. I told you, you're a great worker, and…" he paused, a realization overcoming him. "A great person."

Kris's eyes widened as he said this, her tan face reddening. He had complimented her on something that he didn't see at the workplace. It was her personality that made him think, and it was the way that she was so carefree that made him like her.

"M-Mr. Kon… I-I…" Ray continued to gaze at her, not knowing what it was that made him say that. He finally let go of her, the heat from her body remaining on him a little while afterwards.

"There isn't any need to thank me, I'm just telling you the truth." He replied, clicking his car on and already getting inside. "Come on, it's time to go." He didn't want to dwell on this thought for long; he was already confused as it was. Kris blinked a few times, and then got inside the car with him.

It was silent in the car, and Ray was beginning to think that he had made a mistake in his words. He didn't know her from a hole in a wall. Who was he to say that she was a great person? What was that? A burst of laughter caught him off guard and out of the corner of his eye he saw Kris laughing in her seat.

"What?" he asked, smiling a little. Her good feelings were contagious. Kris smiled back at him, still laughing. "You called me Kris."

"I'm telling you Ray there's something strange about her! First the whole suspicious background, then crying like that?"

"I can't help but think that there's something else going on here too, but I can't put my finger on it." He sighed and looked at his phone. There was a little bit of battery left. "Hey, listen, I have to go, but I'll update you tomorrow."

"Oh, by the way…" Ray listened to his friend. His eyes widened. "You bastards!"

"What? We want to see how this plays out! There's nothing wrong with that." Ray laughed and put a hand to his temple. "You're staying until the end of the month? Oh good Lord…" he heard laughter on the other end.

"Hey, we want to be there! Anyways, see you later Ray."

"Later Tyson." He clicked off his phone and put it to charge on his nightstand. They had gotten home about an hour ago, Ray having realized his mistake in calling Kristiana 'Kris', which was her nickname. He was getting used to her.

"What do you want for dinner?" Ray heard her calling from the kitchen. "Surprise me." he replied back, smiling. He had to learn more about her, and he would eventually, even if it took him the next two weeks.

He inhaled it like there was no tomorrow. Kris sat there drinking her water, watching the man engulf her soup like it was water. "Slow down, you're going to get a stomach ache!" she said laughing.

Ray looked up for a second, a smirk on his face. "You just don't want to get up and get me a third bowl." Kris tilted her head a bit nodding. "And that too." Ray laughed and continued to eat, the soup smelling so good.

He paused for a second, looking at it. "What is it exactly? In Spanish I mean."

"Soupa de camarones." She replied. "What does that mean?"

"Shrimp soup, or in literal translation, soup of the shrimp." Ray nodded, licking his spoon and handing her the bowl. Kris smirked and got up, getting him another bowlful. "How much are you going to eat?"

"Until I explode, or when it stops tasting so good. Whichever happens first." Kris set down his third bowl, sitting back down again. He was about to dig in when he stopped for a second, his friends' words ringing in his mind.

_You don't know anything about her. _

_Why would she need to live in an apartment? _

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something." Kris looked up from her water and nodded. "Yes? What is it?" she replied.

Ray paused, trying to think of the best way to put his question so it didn't seem as if he was probing. "How far is your college from here? I mean, I don't see you studying or anything." he knew that he sounded natural, which was good, and she took the bait.

"It's a while, and don't worry about the studying portion, that's what I do when you're sleeping."

"Then when do you get rest?"

"I get enough sleep, don't worry." She smiled at him genuinely. Ray nodded, still curious. "So, your apartment was for what then?" he was trying his best not to be straight out.

"It was just a temporary place, until I found something closer. A stepping stone you could say."

Ray nodded again, sitting back in his chair. He had gotten some answers, but he still had a lot to ask her. For some reason, he didn't feel like asking her more questions though. In due time, she would open up to him. He turned a slight red.

What was he saying? She would open up to him? She didn't know him, why would she open up to him? He was her boss, and having a relationship with a boss would be-

_What the hell? Why am I thinking like this? A relationship? Why in God's name would she have a relationship with me? What am I thinking? Why am I thinking like this? What is wrong with me? _

"Mr. Kon?" a small voice interrupted his thoughts as he looked back up, the red gone from his face. Kris was staring at him in wonder, her eyes intent upon him. "Is there something wrong?"

"No… no it's nothing." He replied, once again digging into his bowl. Kris continued to stare for a bit, but then said nothing. He knew that she noticed something going on with him, but he was unwilling to tell her the reason why. He ate in silence, and he intended to be that way until they got ready for bed.

"Mr. Kon?" he turned from his bed and heard the knock at the door. "Hang on." He slipped the white shirt over his head and opened his door, fixing his hair while doing so. Kris stood in her pajamas, a black shirt and colorful black pants to go along with it. Her eyes were looking at him.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, smiling at her. She shifted her feet nervously. "I uh… I need to go shopping for some things…" Ray gazed at her, his head tilted. "You need to go shopping for some things? Clothes you mean?"

She nodded her head, turning as red as a tomato. Ray chuckled and shook his head. "I have no problem taking you to the mall. When do you want to go?"

"Well… it is Friday today…" he had forgotten it was Friday, and the weekend was coming up. Kris wouldn't be working then. The shadows of the lights were bouncing off the walls softly, and for some reason, Ray found himself drifting in those eyes.

"Alright, I'll take you tomorrow. Early, how does that sound to you?" Kris's face lit up as she laughed and bounced up and down. He found it cute. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you Mr. Kon! I won't take long I promise!"

Ray laughed along with her. "It's quite alright, you deserve it anyways." Kris smiled and this time it was her who hugged him. She wrapped her arms around him in a sort of tackle way, but he merely smiled and accepted her against him. It felt… it felt nice.


	5. Fireflies

"Ready yet?"

"Almost!" Ray called back to her, putting his shoes on. "Hang on, just a few more things." Kris was waiting for him in the living room, an azure blue shirt on with a pair of jeans. She was very eager today; she hadn't had a chance to go shopping since she had gotten here, so it was really good that she was going today.

It was a bright day today, the sun was shining and the birds were tweeting very loudly. She knew it was going to be a good day. Kris turned as Ray came out to greet her, his eyes shining and his clothes completely different from what she was used to.

He wore a pair of dark jeans with some converse, along with a white undershirt and a light blue patched shirt over that. His hair was back in a ponytail as usual, and he decided to put on a golden cross around his neck. "I'm good to go."

Ray paused as she noticed Kris staring was at him. "What is it?" he looked at himself, examining his shirt. "Do I have something on me?"

Kris shook her head soundly, but turned away from him. "I'm just… not used to seeing you in such attire… I'm so used to calling you 'Mr. Kon' and being respectful of my superiors."

Ray smiled at her softly. "You don't need to do that today. Today, I'm just helping you out as a friend. Is that alright?"

Kris's eyes widened as she took a step back. "B-But… W-What am I supposed to call you then?" she asked, her face red. Ray chuckled as he took his car keys from the table across from him. "Call me Ray."

It was silent in the car, Ray could hear nothing but the sound of music coming from Kris's headphones. He glanced at her when he stopped at a traffic light. He was curious as to what it was she was listening to. The tapping of her fingers seemed to intrigue him, as every few minutes she would change the rhythm of her tapping and then sometimes her head would bob up and down, as if going to a beat.

They had been in the car for only ten minutes, but already he was looking for an excuse to chat with her. He pursed his lips a little, and then lightly tapped her hand. Kris looked up from her music player and glanced at him. "Yes?"

"I was wondering, what are you listening to?" Kris flushed a little, but responded to him. "It's probably not something you would like." Ray chuckled and took the challenge. "Put it on speaker, that way, I can hear it too."

Kris hesitantly paused her mp3 and put the jack inside. She turned up the volume on her drive and then on the car. Slowly, the sounds of melodic harps could be heard, as well as chimes and other various instruments. Echoes and waves of sound immersed Ray. He had never heard something like this before, and he listened in closely as he was driving, his muscles becoming relaxed as he did so, his driving becoming smoother than he would have anticipated.

"What is this?" he asked, turning around a corner. Kris swallowed. "It's from a movie I saw, but it's the instrumental score only. I like to listen to things like that, I want to hear the different melodic sounds of the instruments, as well as the different patterns of music that people can come up with. It's so much fun to analyze all of these instruments and try to figure out how I can play them on other instruments."

"You play an instrument?"

"Several actually." Kris blushed. "I'm not very good at them, but I can play piano, the guitar, my viola, a little bit of harmonica, and a little bit of the cello." Ray nodded his head, now seeing that she had a musical side to her that he had no idea she had. She glanced out the window, silently tapping her fingers to the music.

"Is that all you listen to?" he asked, eager to continue the conversation. He could never do this with Mariah. Kris giggled, putting a hand over her mouth. "No, no, no. I listen to all types of music! I'm not picky in that sense. If it's a good song, and it has meaning, I'll download it and I'll listen to it!"

"So, what's your favorite song then?"

"Is this a real question?" they both laughed whole heartedly as Ray drove, almost arriving at the mall. "What's your favorite song?" he asked again, looking for a parking space. Kris paused before answering, her eyes dimming a bit.

"It's a song by a Japanese Rock artist called Hyde, and it's from his album Season's Call. Kind of funny how his song is called Season's Call too." She looked at him, waiting for the answer. Ray bit his lip and nodded, not sure if he had ever heard that song. "Season's Call? I'll have to listen to it someday."

He turned into the parking lot and switched off his car, Kris taking back her mp3 and getting out hastily, black pocket book in hand. Ray locked his car and beeped it, making sure Kris was out before he did so. She was smiling and holding her hand up to shield her eyes from the light of the sun. Ray smiled as well, gazing at her. It was going to be a good day.

Normally, he hated shopping with Mariah, and for today, that was the only exception. Shopping with Kris certainly turned out to be a different experience. She wouldn't drag him into any store that had any pink in it, and she avoided stores that smelled too strongly of perfume or of aroma. It was interesting how the two girls were so different from one another.

Ray had his hands in his pockets and for once, he noticed he hadn't checked his watch. They had just gotten there, and Kris was already heading for the clothing department. _Great. We're going to be here forever._ He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. Girls will be girls after all.

Kris darted about through the store, almost taking no time to really examine any of the clothing around her. Ray had a hard time keeping up with her as she darted about, the feisty little thing going faster with each step. "Hey, wait up!"

Kris stopped for a moment and then waited for him to get closer. "Are you even looking at each of these?" he asked, gazing around at the clothing. Kris nodded her head, her eyes darting from side to side. "And? I'm still looking at them." She replied.

Ray stared at her for a second before she darted off again, heading towards the shirt section. He tilted his head in confusion_. Looking at them? More like running about in the store. _He sighed again, shaking his head.

It was then that Kris finally stopped, her eyes set upon something that had caught her attention. Ray stepped up behind her and followed her eyes. It was a black shirt with a picture of the Pac-Man game on it. Beneath the picture it said Nom, nom, nom. He heard a giggle as Kris picked the shirt up and looked for a medium.

"You like that?" Mariah would have never picked out such a black thing, she would say that it looked too gothic, and she wouldn't even be in this department. Kris nodded, giggling. "I find it funny." She checked the price tag and folded it over her arm, moving on to the next thing. Ray really couldn't see why he had ever gone shopping with Mariah in the first place, doing this was much more fun.

"Hey look!" Ray turned his head to see Kris holding up a leopard skin bathing suit. "Rawr! I am Jane!" he laughed and picked up a shirt that said FAIL and held it up to her. "Ouch!" she laughed and put the clothing back.

_I'm having fun… _

She picked up a few more things as she went by, and finally she began to slow down, now going into the shoe department. "Never was fond of shoes. But I need a pair." She shrugged and looked around, hardly glancing at the high heels. Mariah would have been all over those like white on rice.

"Honestly, if you're going to wear high heels that big why not just by a wooden block and put them on your feet?" Kris held up a six inch heel. "I can only imagine what this does to your posture." Ray snickered at the comment and stifled his laugh. She was certainly making this fun.

Kris hadn't found anything and was about to head back to Ray when she spied something off to her left. Her eyes widened as she stepped near it, and touched the leather, her mouth practically drooling. Ray came over and spoke. "You like that?"

Kris nodded her head, fingering the black leather boot that she had found. "I have a pair like these at home but they're all trashed…" the heel wasn't high at all, and it was a zip up with a few strings on it. She bit her lip and looked at the price tag, turning her head away. "You don't need it, you don't need it…"

"I thought you said you needed some shoes?" she shook her head. "I need shoes, not boots. That," she paused. "Is a boot." Her words were trying to be stern, but she was failing. She was clearly in love with them. "Let's go." She turned her heel and walked away, Ray following behind her. He wondered.

"I never really liked milkshakes." Ray glanced at her. He had offered to buy her lunch and she wasn't exactly the kind of person who takes just anything. "Have you ever tried one?" Mariah loved milkshakes.

"Yes. I don't like soda. It makes me nauseous." The man breathed and looked over the food court. "Then what do you want?"

Kris paused and thought for a second. "Can I…" she stepped over to the sandwich station. "Get this?" Ray stared at her in amazement. "You can live off that?"

"Sure. I want a sandwich. Is… that a problem?" _Cheapest. Girl. Ever._

"Not at all!" Ray was all too happy to pay for her lunch, which turned out to be not even a fraction of a dent in his pocket. Mariah would have ordered sushi and the works. He always came home half broke. This was a nice change in pace.

They took a seat in the food court and began to eat their lunch, Kris eating the entire sandwich and taking out a bottle of water for her to drink. He didn't even have to pay for that. _She's so different… it's like I'm with…_ He shook his head and forced himself to think clearer. _Stop that. You're not… on a…_

"Is there anything else you want to check out?" he asked, finishing off his soda. "No, not really. We can go." Kris said, gazing at the open ceiling above them. "Nice place. I'll have to remember it when I come back."

Ray stood up and threw out his can, Kris folding her napkin and tucking it into her bag. "It's in case I get a runny nose and I don't have tissues on me." Mariah wouldn't have done that.

They came back out to the parking lot, and as they headed home, Kris let Ray listen to her Season's Call, him insisting that he hear it at least once. It was a soft tone at first, and then it became harder as it went along, but the melody was on spot, and it made him almost want to cry.

"Wow… that's a good song." Kris nodded, sighing. "I always loved that song…" she paused and then started again. "It was always my hope that someday… when I find the right guy, he'd play this song for me as we shared our first kiss."

Ray glanced at her for a moment before pulling up into the house driveway. They got out, and only then did Ray realize that it was dinner time. "It's that late already?" the time had passed quickly, and he was sure that they had spent only an hour out. "Yeah." Kris replied, stretching. "I'm a little tired."

She walked to the doorstep and waited for Ray as he turned over his house keys. "Hey uh, could you do me a favor and see if I left the light on in my room? I think I did." Kris nodded and once the door was open, she went upstairs to put her bags down as well as check his room. "The light's out. Isn't it a little late to be-"

She stopped in mid sentence. Ray was in the living room and as she walked in, she noticed a pair of boots sitting in front of her. He was smiling. "You really wanted them, and they were the last in your size." He said, blushing a bit.

Kris ran to them, stripping her shoes and putting them on. It was a perfect fit. "Oh wow…" she gawked at them, strutting about. "This is… this is…" her eyes shone brightly with happiness, and Ray felt warmth in his heart.

"Thank you! Thank you Ray!" she pranced about the house like a little girl, and Ray looked on softly, his smile genuine. It was nice to see her so happy.

It was ten before she went to bed, Kris flopping down upon her bed and instantly falling asleep. Ray had insisted again that he make dinner, seeing as she had a full day. She loved his cooking, and raved about it the more she ate. He had never known she had such a palette.

As he closed the door to her room, he sighed and looked to his left, where his room was. He walked in quietly, and then closed the door behind him. Ray's hand found the familiar knobs to his closet as he opened it up, his eyes drifting to the black case lying in the corner of the closet. He took the case and unzipped it, his fingers running over the surface.

"Nice to see you again."

"Sounds like you two are getting along well. Has she said anything about her little stay over there?"

"She seems to like it, and I actually wanted you guys to meet her. She's really nice and" he spit in the sink. "She's nothing like Mariah. She's not a leech, she's not a haggler, she's nothing like her. It's really nice."

A sort of snort came from the other end. "Where are we meeting again?" Ray examined his fangs in the mirror, being sure he looked really good while he stood in the bathroom talking on the phone. "We're meeting at the garden, remember? We're supposed to take a look at the local nursery."

"I enjoy looking at nature."

Ray smirked at his friend's comment. "I know you do." He replied, brushing out his long hair. "Don't go thinking the wrong idea Ray. You and I are done."

"Whatever you say." More laughter came from the other side, and more of the same old Kai. There came a pause before he spoke again. "Ya tebya… lyublyu." Ray stopped his brushing and held the phone closer to his ear. "Kai…" he paused and shook his head, smiling.

"Wǒ ài ni…" he could literally hear Kai smiling back at him. Ray spoke again. "Things are different now Kai. We…"

"I got it. Don't worry. I just wanted to make you feel better." Ray chuckled aloud, setting down his comb and looking into his own eyes, the mirror reflection of them. "You always do."

The sun was high above them as they waited. Tyson folded his arms and yawned, smacking his lips as he did so. "Where is he?"

"Relax, we got here early."

"Yeah, no thanks to your alarm clock Kai!"

"I don't want a repeat of last time." He retorted, gazing into the greenhouse in front of them. As soon as Tyson was going to reply, a silver car pulled up in front of them. "Oh there he is!"

Max smiled and waved to his friend as he emerged from his car. "Hey Ray!" Ray waved back to him as he stepped out, going to the other side of the car. "This is it; we get to meet this fantastic girl that he's been talking about." Tyson sneered, smirking.

"You never know, she might be worth all the talk."

"When I see her Max, I'll be the judge of that." Tyson breathed in and turned to see Ray and Kris walked towards them, Kris's eyes wide and nervous. The men stared.

"That's Kris?" Max asked, leaning forward. Tyson blinked, staring at her. "She's tiny… but… she's got a great body." Kai stared at the new girl approaching them steadily and slowly. Ray had to lead her along, as she was nervous in her ways.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Kristiana. She's the waitress I was telling you about." Ray smiled proudly as Kris sort of hid behind him for comfort. Tyson smiled down at her and reached out a hand. "The name's Tyson." He said his eyes upon her.

Kris took his hand and smiled weakly. "Hi." Kai was up next, as well as Max. One by one the men introduced themselves, and Kris got more comfortable around the friendly atmosphere. "So, let's go see some flowers right guys?" Ray said, smiling.

They all nodded and proceeded to the front, where they entered the domain of flowers. It was a beautiful sight, purple and blue flowers were blossoming all around them. Kris was awestruck; her eyes couldn't take in enough of the beauty of it all.

"It's…" she whipped out her camera and began to take pictures like crazy, posing in every angle and taking shots wherever she could. Ray watched on, his heart beating softly.

"It seems like she's close to you." Ray turned to see Kai standing next to him, staring into the pond that was in front of them. Lily pads floated by carelessly as they spoke, the reflections of them in the past shimmering on the surface of the water.

"Yeah… she got used to me."

"You mean, you got used to her." Kai corrected, still staring into the water. For some reason, both of their eyes were looking at the others' in the pond.

"I did…" he turned to see Kris waving at him, hugging Max while they posed for a shot. Kai blinked and put a hand on Ray. "What are you thinking?"

Ray paused before he answered, not sure what he was thinking exactly. "I don't know… I think… I think I want to-"

His words were cut off by the ringing of his cell phone, or rather, the vibration. He looked at Kai, who motioned towards the back. Ray took off, leaving the rest of his friends behind.

"Now? Right now?" he asked, holding onto his cell phone. "Where? Where are you?" he looked around frantically, hoping to see her right away. It was Mariah, and she had a bone to pick with him. "Can't this wait until later? I'm kind of in the middle of something right now."

"This can't wait!" she shouted back at him, nearly on the brink of roaring. Ray held the phone away from his ear and sighed, walking towards the parking lot. Sure enough, he saw a pink car in the midst of everything. She had followed him.

"Oh shit…" he cursed under his breath and followed the girl as she stepped out of the car and slammed the door. She was glaring at him. This wasn't going to end well, he could already tell. He breathed and walked to her calmly, acting as if nothing was wrong.

"What is this?" she screamed, her eyes mad with rage. Ray shrugged. "An outing with my friends that I could be enjoying, but you're ruining." Mariah fumed.

"That's not what I meant!" she had all pink on today, and Ray took a note of how many pink outfits she had in her wardrobe. Forty, perhaps even fifty outfits. "Who is that girl? And why is she taking up our time?"

Ray's brow furrowed. "Our time? Since when did you declare our time right now? You never planned anything ever with me! You always showed up when I didn't want you around!" he stopped, realizing what he was saying. The truth was letting itself free.

Mariah blinked a few times and then laughed. "Oh, oh sweetie I thought you said you didn't want me around." She looked at him slyly. "You DID… mean you wanted to see me always… right?" her voice was edgy, and he knew he had to tell her.

"Mariah, you're… you're…" he blurted it out. "You're so fucking annoying!" he shouted, his fists clenched. Mariah took a step back and shouted right back at him. "What are you saying?"

Ray was gathering his courage; he knew what he had to say. "You're always wearing pink and going on about something that I had nothing to do with!" he was getting more and more relieved by the second. This felt good, he was finally venting at her.

"All those times that you dragged me to those stores, all those times you forced me to go shopping with you, and I never had any fun!" he continued, slightly smiling.

"What do you mean? I never did that! You always said you wanted to go!" she replied, feeling frightened somewhat. The parking lot was full of secret on lookers, who were eager to see how this was going to end. A familiar figure stood in the sidelines, his arms folded and his eyes set on the battle that was raging.

"You can't even read me! You never know what I'm feeling, and you can't even cook!" he was almost done, almost done. He had rid himself of years of humiliation showing up in pretty pink stores and getting dragged into places he would never in his life dream of even setting foot in.

The anger, all the anger he held in, all the annoying little quirks she had, all the little things that had just pissed him off, all of the agony he had gone through, and all the times he wished he were dead, all of that came streaming out of him now, bursting through his veins like some sort of cancer. It was all coming out now, all of it. Every single little drop.

He smiled now, an almost demonic smile as he said his last words. Mariah said nothing as he spoke; only gazing at him through teary eyes.

"I don't need you."

She stepped back, gasping at his words. His smile broadened. "They were right… you ARE a leech…" he breathed. "You've been sucking me dry for over ten years… and only now I realize it…" Ray laughed a bit, and then his eyes dilated.

"Get out… get out of here…" Mariah bit her lip. "But Ray…"

"I said out!" he shouted, forcing her to back into her car. She had tears in her eyes, but she remained strong. She was mad now… angry at that other girl.

"Whoever she is Ray…" Mariah spoke quietly now, anger taking over. "Whoever she is… I'll find her Ray. I swear it." Her last words died as she got into her car, slamming the door and pulling out, driving away into the distance. Ray's eyes followed her, and as he calmed down, he saw a bird above him, flying through the air without a care in the world. He smiled.

"Was that your girlfriend Ray?" Ray had come back to them and Kris had seen the entire thing unfold from the confines of the greenhouse. "Did you two have a fight?"

Ray gazed at her softly, running a hand through her hair. "We're no longer together." He replied, walking away and speaking to her. "Come on, the lilacs are just over here."

Tyson spoke to Max quietly. "I never thought it would actually happen, but here he is, after breaking up with Mariah, and he's completely unphased."

"We told him she was a leech." Max replied, shrugging. "It's about time he figured it out on his own." They both watched as Ray told Kris about the lilacs, and even read her the description in the box next to the plants.

"He never realized it because he couldn't find anyone better." A stern voice directed their attention. Kai turned to them. "He's finally found something that perks his interest." Kai's eyes followed Ray as he walked away deeper into the greenhouse.

"That was fun!" Kris exclaimed, holding up her pamphlets and waving them about. Tyson smiled. "Sounds like someone had fun!" he laughed and stuck out his hand. "You're alright Kris."

Kris smiled back at him and shook his hand. "I was glad I was able to meet with you guys, it seems like all of you had some important impact on Ray's life!" she giggled. "I hope I can see you guys again one day!" Tyson and Max shook her hand as they smiled fondly. "Yeah, we hope so too."

It was Kai who whispered in her ear, silently smiling to her. Kris's eyes lit up as he spoke to her, and he nodded his head, his eyes knowing. "Kai…" she was strong now, her heart full. "Thank you Kai, I will."

Ray had no idea what they were talking about, but he bid his friends a farewell and headed back to his house, Kris in his car and the rest of the day still fresh in their memories. It was Kris who was curious as to what had happened.

"So, Mariah was your girlfriend?" she asked softly, turning to see him. Ray gripped the wheel a little, but replied back. "Yeah, she was. But… she got on my nerves. She's always leeching onto me like crazy. It drove me nuts after a while. You can't take that kind of stuff for too long, right?"

Kris nodded her head, staring out at the window as the trees and streets passed her by, the green and black pavements whisking together to make a scenery of color. She wondered how he had gotten to know her in the first place.

"I heard there's going to be a full moon tonight." She commented as she stepped out of the car. Ray turned to her and shrugged his shoulders. "There's going to be a full moon? That'll be nice to see." He stuck his keys in his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck. He was free from her, and it felt nice to be this way. He intended to keep it that way.

"Ray?" he heard the voice call to him, and as he rose his eyes he saw Kris standing near the entrance to the backyard. "Where are you going?" he asked her, following her. All she did was giggle at him, the night settling in fast. Kris bounded away, leaving him to her trial. "Hey!"

He followed her back into his yard, where he found her dancing around in the grass. "C'mon! Doesn't it make you feel like you can do anything?" she laughed and spun around in the grass, gazing up at the sky above. It was turning twilight colors, and Kris sighed.

"My favorite time of day is twilight…" she murmured, kicking the grass softly. The wind blew north, whisking her hair away from her face so he saw those eyes he had come to adore so much. Her mouth moved in silent whispers.

"The dawn becomes dim, and twilight is upon us. The colors are really beautiful aren't they?" she painted the sky with her finger, pretending her finger was a paintbrush that only she could hold. "I love how the purple and red come together… in a mixture of orange and yellow that makes you wonder…"

Ray gazed up at the sky, and he took note of what she said. She was right. His eye was drawn to the color patterns, as if they had some mystifying effect on him that left an impression on his heart forever. It was so beautiful, so pretty, and yet it was so far away from them. He wanted to reach up, and grab the stars beneath the colors, and meld them into something he could treasure forever.

He heard a thump and saw Kris lying down in the grass, her eyes to the sky and her arms spread out. "Isn't it wonderful?" Ray smiled and lay down next to her, gazing up with her. "Yeah, it is."

The freedom he had, and the feelings he had now, all of those were his and his alone. This time now, with Kris, was what made him happy. He knew this could never be taken away from him, no matter what happened.

His heart was beating, he could feel the pulsing in his body, and softly, he shut his eyes, letting the wind take him away to places he remembered only in his mind. Places where colors melded into your hand and stars were like fireflies that danced in the distance, burning brightly as they sang to you. It was his wonderland.

"Ray, Ray look." A soft whisper woke him up. He opened his eyes, only to see the stars he had imagined, dancing around them. "What…"

"Fireflies." Fireflies never came around this time of year, and Kris was amazed at how many there were around them. They danced in circles, their lights filling up the blackening sky and making them gasp in wonder.

Ray laughed and caught a few in his hands, letting them crawl across his fingertips. "When did they get here?" he asked, the fireflies dancing in the moonlight and flying around his head.

Kris shrugged and laughed with him, blowing on the fireflies to give them a lift to their moon. "It's like their dancing… just dancing with us…" they were all around them, glittering sparks of beautiful warm light that illuminated everything they touched. It was magnificent; Ray had never remembered seeing something so beautiful in his entire life.

Softly, Kris whispered to him, things that he could only barely understand. "_I'd like to make myself believe… that planet Earth turns slowly. It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake while I'm asleep… because my dreams are…_" she smiled. "_Bursting at the seams_."

Ray smiled along with her, nodding his head and looking up at the pale moon above them. The water of his koi fish pond shimmered with its' light, and he knew, deep down somewhere, in his heart, Kris had nestled herself in there, without him even noticing.


	6. Jealousy

The next day was a rather dreary day, it was raining, and Ray had intended to go to his restaurant to see how the progress was going. He didn't feel like driving in the rain, and he really didn't feel like showing up there. He sighed and put a hand to his chin, gazing out at the rain and just wondering.

Kris in the meantime, was going about the house, cleaning it and dusting off the furniture, fixing the beds, and even doing some laundry for him. She had persuaded him to let her do those things, and he had listened in with thoughtful ears. He knew that she felt indebted to him somehow, so he let her do what she pleased. It was good though, she cleaned up his mess, and he had a sparkling house. He smiled.

"Hey, Kris?" she looked up from her broom and smiled at him, wiping the sweat off her brow. "Yes?" she asked.

"I'm going to go out for a bit, is there anything we need?" he bit his lip, hearing his own words.

_We._

Kris looked inside the fridge and gave him a list of things to buy, while Ray pondered whether or not he was going crazy. Last night had been an amazing experience for him, and he felt as if he some special connection with her now, she had come into his life for some reason.

"That's it." She handed him the car keys and smiled. "Drive carefully, okay? Be safe." Ray took the keys and smiled back at her. _Mariah never wished me safety…_

"If you need me… call me, alright?" Kris tilted her head curiously. "I don't have your number." She replied, already taking out her cell phone.

Ray took the small device and inserted his number, placing it back in Kris's hand. She turned a deep red. "Am I supposed to have my boss's personal number in here?"

Ray laughed and turned away, waving his hand. "It's alright. If you need me, call me like I said. I shouldn't be gone too long, only an hour or so." Kris blinked as she stared at her cell phone in disbelief. _He gave me his number…_

She nodded her head and pranced towards him, hugging him from behind. Ray turned his head to see her upon him, and he rubbed her head gently, stroking her soft hair. "Kris…" without warning, he picked her up and whirled her around in the air for a little, going in a circle.

She squealed and turned red as he placed her back down, her eyes wide with excitement and her heart racing. Ray's heart was racing as well, and he chuckled at her. "I'll be back soon." Kris regained her composure and breathed in. "Be safe!"

With that, he exited out the door, only standing in the doorway long enough to gaze at her one last time before he opened up his umbrella and went out into his car. Kris watched from the window as he pulled out, a rosary in her hand and her eyes following him.

She pulled up a little ways away from the house, her eyes filled with hatred and rage. The car was turned off and she waited a little bit, until the silver car passed her, not even noticing the black car she had hidden on the side of the road. It was the last thing he was expecting.

Kris looked up as she heard the doorbell ring. "Oh?" she went towards the door and looked out the peep hole, not finding anyone there but nature itself. She shook her head and went back up the stairs, murmuring to herself.

It was then that her keen ears caught the sound of footsteps and a little crash coming from below her on the first floor. Her ears were perked now, her stepping light and her body awake and aware. Someone was in the house with her.

"Meat… eggs… fish… she has everything on this list!" Ray walked through the aisles and looked around. The supermarket was filled with people, the boring market music filling his ears.

"Hey look! Corn is on sale!" his eyes saw Kris holding up a can of corn and smiling at him. "I bet we can make something good out of this!"

He shook his head, and image went away, back to reality. Ray sighed to himself. Was he going crazy? Why did he see her everywhere? This wasn't the first time his mind had played games with him. He had begun to see her wherever he went now, and he even began to hear her voice.

_What is with me lately? What's wrong with me? First in the mall, and now here… it's everywhere!_ Ray looked up as he picked up some eggs and proceeded to the next aisle. His eyes caught something on his left and he peered at the package. A thought came into his head.

The window broke, and glass shattered everywhere. It was the last thing she heard before the screaming, and then the flying fists. Kris dodged each kick and each punch with ease, but it confused her as to who was attacking her.

The attacker had jumped through the window and broken the glass, causing the floor to be a hazard to them both. Kris grit her teeth as she saw pink fly by her. She had hit the lights so that the enemy would have a hard time fighting her.

Kris jumped onto the couch, baring her teeth at the attacker. "How dare you come in to my boss's house and wreck it like this…" the attacker glared at her, now coming into full view. Kris's eyes widened. "You…!"

She was tackled over, her hair being pulled and punches flying at her body. Kris growled and bit the hand of the woman who was attacking her. The woman cried out and cursed. "You little bitch!" before she could say another word, Kris tackled her over onto the floor, biting her in her shoulder. Blood flew everywhere.

Ray glanced at his phone while he drove. He knew it wasn't smart to answer the phone when he was driving, and he certainly couldn't pull over. He decided to put it on speaker.

"Hello?" he said. "Mr. Kon! Is everything alright?" the voice was that of his neighbor's, and he sounded worried. Ray tilted his head as fear rose in his chest.

"Why? What's going on?"

"I heard screams coming from your house and I was wondering if you were alright." Ray's eyes widened as his car skidded to a stop in the rain. "You heard screams?"

"Yeah, I heard screams. Is everything alright? Where are you?" Ray's mind went on overdrive, his heart racing. The rain was soft as it hit his car roof, and it created a heavy fog that he had to navigate through. None of that concerned him now though.

"I'll call you back. Thanks." He ended the call and slapped his foot on the pedal, making the tires skid on the wet pavement. Kris was in danger, his heart told him that. He had to get to her, and fast.

She was fighting as hard as she could, but this little Latin girl had obviously scrapped before. She was wild, and she knew the weak spots. Her body was bruised, but she wasn't going to give up just yet. It was for her Ray… for her precious Ray. She would do anything to have him back. Anything.

Kris yelped as she was kicked hard in the stomach, staggering backwards and holding it. She gasped for air, the unexpected attack taking its' toll. The pink haired woman smiled evilly, holding up a shard of glass that she had picked up from rolling on the ground. It wasn't large, but it would certainly do the trick. This would put an end to her, once and for all.

She aimed for the heart, but her hand was cut short when Kris blocked it and twisted her wrist, causing her to drop the shard onto the ground. She shouted in pain, but then elbowed Kris in the jaw, making her fall upon the floor hard.

Kris writhed in pain, this was the longest she had ever fought, and possibly the hardest opponent she had faced. She breathed out heavily, sweat beating down her forehead and fear in her heart. She pushed the fear down, and drove her wild instinct to attack.

The woman lunged at her, but not before Kris rolled over and kicked her in the chest, sending her flying in the other direction. Kris gasped for air, and she drew out her claws. "What are you doing?" she asked the attacker. "Why are you doing this?"

The attacker growled back at her in response. She obviously had no intention of ever telling Kris what she was doing here. "Get away… get away from my Ray!" the woman cried hysterically, her eyes glowing with rage and madness that border lined on psycho. She tackled Kris over again, both women quickly losing strength. There wasn't much they could do now, and they only had a matter of time before they both depleted their energy supply.

Kris drew in a breath and was about to speak when the front door flew open. "Kris!" heavy footsteps came up the stairs and raced towards the girl, soft yet strong hands supporting the young girl's head. Her eyes were slowly dimming.

The other woman lay in the corner, smiling demonically and licking her lips. "Oh… Oh Ray you're home…" she purred, undressing herself as she went. Ray had parked his car and hadn't even bothered beeping it because his legs took him straight inside.

The man stared at Kris gently, his eyes not leaving her face. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, caressing her cheek with his thumb. Kris breathed in and nodded her head weakly, spitting up some blood in the process. "Shhh, shh… don't talk…" her eyes dimmed more as they closed, her energy finally gone.

He looked around him. Everywhere was chaos. Tables and chairs thrown here and there, the floor stained with blood and the rooms all dark and eerie. He pursed his lips, and said only one word.

"Mariah."

The woman crawled closer to him and attempted to put her arms around him when he pushed her off harshly, Mariah landing on her side. She gazed up at him. "Why? Why would you leave me like that?" she asked, pity and sorrow in her voice.

Both girls were tattered and their clothes were torn. Mariah was bleeding and so was Kris, their injuries had gone in deep. They had used glass and other things as weapons.

Ray placed Kris down gently on the floor, laying her hands and arms at her side carefully. His eyes were hidden by his hair as he walked towards Mariah slowly.

She giggled with glee. "Oh, oh you're coming back! Oh goodness I don't know what to say!" her eyes sparkled and shone, but Ray was making no attempt at getting her back.

In a rage of fury and anger, he gripped her arm and pulled her up, Mariah crying out in pain. He growled at her, his eyes slit like a cat's. Mariah could only limp as Ray dragged her to the door and threw her out, literally throwing her to the ground, his fangs visible and the rage in his eyes pure death itself.

"Don't you ever… EVER lay a hand on her." his voice was deathly quiet, and it sent shivers up Mariah's spine. The cold rain added to her shivers as Ray began to close the door on her. "Wait!"

She crawled to the door and held onto his leg, pleading. "Please, I'll do anything! Ray!" Ray growled and this time, he didn't hold back. He kicked her away, sending her sprawled across his lawn. Blood stained his grass, and his eyes were deadly.

"Run. Run away, and never return." He slammed the door on her, Mariah crying on the ground. Her body shook more as the rain continued to pour, the drops feeling like icicles upon her skin. She gazed up at the darkening sky, and silently, she pleaded for him to come back.

He never would.

He sat by her bedside the entire time, refusing to leave her. Tyson wanted him to get some rest, but he was pushed off by the man. Max had helped in cleaning up the house after the battle, the authorities having their way with Mariah.

She had lay there on the floor, and he had picked her up, her arms and legs dangling almost heavenly. He set her to bed, undressing her and taking care of her every need, washing her wounds and cleaning her up so that she looked like herself again.

She had suffered minor injuries, although her body was full of bruises. She had held her own. In Kai's words "You've got a scrapper on your hands Ray."

It had taken her two days, but she woke up. When she finally opened her eyes, Ray was the first to see it, and his eyes nearly brimmed.

"….Ray?" his head jerked up, the soft voice sounding like Christmas bells to him. He was tired, and he hadn't gotten much sleep. It was Max who took out the groceries from the car and put them back where they belonged.

"Kris?" she smiled as she sat up, her wounded body weakly getting up. "Yeah, it's me alright." Ray shook his head, a smile appearing on his face. In an instant, his arms were around her, hugging her tightly to his body.

"I thought…" Kris patted his back, the man stroking her hair and caressing her back as well. "I'm alright now Ray… I'm okay."

Ray released his hold upon her and gazed into her eyes, happiness filling his heart like never before. Kai smiled as he gazed at them. "Well now, seems like you're alright." Kris turned to him and giggled. "Yeah, that Mariah has some heck of a punch!" she paused. "What happened to her?"

"She was confined to a mental institute; the authorities claimed that she was crazy." Max entered into the room. "Max!"

"We fixed the house, so I guess everything is back to normal." Tyson smirked as he pushed past Max. "You got everything back in order Ray!"

Kris stared at all the friends, and she laughed. "You guys are something else!" she commented, gazing at them. "I'm so glad I have friends like you!"

The men smiled at her, and as they turned to leave, Kai put a hand on Kris's shoulder. "Remember what I said?" Kris's face dropped for a moment, but then lit back up again. "Yeah, you can count on it!" with that, the men exited, waving a goodbye to Ray and Kris, leaving the two be.

Kris's body began to waver again, and she felt dizzy. Ray held her up, and handed her some water. "I guess I still need rest, don't you think?" Ray smiled at her comment, and took the glass. "I guess so."

She lay back down and slowly, her eyes closed. "I'll be here when you wake up, I promise." Kris giggled at his comment, and rested her body, her face becoming blank with sleep. Ray gazed at her, taking in how the light hit her face while she slept.

His hand moved on its' own, and eventually, it touched another fleshy surface, with five limbs. Their fingers interlocked, and Ray closed his eyes, bringing up their intertwined hands to his face, his lips planting a kiss upon her fingertips.

"I promise…"


	7. Season's Call

He gazed out at the people passing by, his friends meeting him in the café like he had told them to. They were silent, the memories of the past days still filling their heads.

"So much has happened…" Max started, not even bothering with his coffee. Kai nodded, and turned to Ray who was lost in the crowd. "Ray?"

He snapped to reality and blinked. "Yes?" Tyson sighed, looking at his friend. "What's on your mind?"

Ray shrugged. "It's been almost four days since Mariah attacked her, and Kris is the same, but…" he paused, licking his lips. "Nothing is the same… with me I think."

Tyson smirked and Max joined him. "What? You gonna ask her out?" Ray's eyes drifted to them, filling with hope.

A silence filled the air. It was Kai who spoke first. "You're serious about it, aren't you?" Ray nodded his head, his hand coming upon his chin. The shadows of the day were wearing on him, and he knew, that if he held back, he would never do it.

"You…" Tyson's smirk turned into a gentle smile. "You love her." Ray blushed, and merely stared into his coffee that he didn't touch. "I can't… I can't do this…" he murmured, fingering his cup. He was nervous, after all, what if she said no? With everything that's happened… I can't imagine her wanting me as her…

"You won't know unless you try Ray." Max added in, waking Ray once again from his daydream. Ray sighed and snorted, turning to the sun above them. "I guess I'll have to try then."

"What's this big surprise that Max mentioned?" Kris asked. Inside the car, Ray could feel his nerves taking over, and it was the last thing he wanted them to do. He swallowed and held up a poker face. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

They were driving back home from another day at work, Ray watching Kris all day, and not even bothering to get any of his own work done. He was almost there, almost there, and he wanted to get there already. He wanted to see her every day; he wanted to hold her hand like they had that one day.

He pulled up in his driveway and beeped his car, Kris running into the house and skipping about happily. Ray smiled as he saw his little girl run about. It bought him so joy to know that she was happy, because it made him happy. This gift was for her.

"Kris, come here?" he asked, sitting down upon his bed. Kris sat down next to him as he gazed at her. She was staring at him brightly, and it only added to his nerves. "Stay here, okay?" Kris nodded her head, folding her legs and sitting upright.

Ray reached into his closet and took out that case, zipping it open and taking out the precious item. Her eyes widened as her face turned red, shudders coming out of her mouth. It was a surprise yes, and he knew she wasn't expecting this, at all.

He smiled softly as he strummed the strings of his guitar. It sounded as good as it did nine years ago. "It's been nine years since I touched this thing…" he explained, strumming the strings still, producing a melodic sound. Kris swallowed and stared at the electric guitar, the string so fine and professionally made. The sides were black while the body was silver, and the neck was an ebony wood.

"So, I heard you like that song Season's Call right?" Kris could only nod at him, gawking at the beautiful guitar that lay before her. Ray smirked and strummed his guitar again, starting off with the first note of the song. He breathed in, and slowly, the melody began to play in the air, filling the room up with music that only he could make. Her heart was thumping.

"Karami tsuku kazeni sakarai

ushinatta kisetsu wo sagashite iru

Wazuka demo mesasu houkou he

Azayakana kioku ga tsuki ugokasu

How many cuts should I repeat?

How many fates should I accept?

Does it have an end?

Itsumo karada juu wo kimi ga kake meguri afuresou

Dakara kowaku nai yo asu mo

Because I always feel you in me.

Kawaki kitta nodo he nagashita kimi no mei de

Kokoro wo uruoshiteku

How many cuts should I repeat?

How many fates should I accept?

Does it have an end?

Haruka ano tori no you

Sora wo tobi koete yuketara

Itsumo tsutaete iyou ai wo

Because I always feel you in me.

You taught me how to love. I feel.

I can do anything.

Yume ni egaku sekai wo kimi no me no mae ni hirogetai

Dakara kowaku nai yo asu mo

My beloved season calls me.

Because I always feel you in me."

The guitar only version sounded like heaven to her, and she gazed up at Ray, who was holding onto the last note of the song. His voice was pure, and his fingers weren't off by any means. Everything about the song was perfect. Kris stared at him, tears coming into her eyes.

"Ray… why would you…"

"Because it makes you happy." He replied, his eyes soft and gazing at her. "And…" he paused. "I like it when you're happy, because then…" his voice softened into a whisper. "It makes me happy."

Her eyes were brimming now, tears falling down her cheeks and dripping onto her hands. "You love that song, and I…"

_I can do this. I can do this. Just say it. Just say how you feel. _

"I… I want it to…"

_Just say it already Jesus damnit!_

"I want it to be our song."

_God fuck!_ That wasn't what he had meant to say, but it came out altogether. Ray sighed as he realized his words and shook his head. "I'm sorry; I know you wanted to save that-"

"Okay." He stopped, turning back to Kris, who was smiling at him through tears. "It'll…" her voice was wavering. "It'll be our song… okay Ray?"

Ray couldn't be happier even if a million dollars just dropped through the roof in front of him. He swallowed, staring back at her. "You mean it?" Kris nodded her head, her body shaking from the tears. "You sang it to me… and that… is something I can't throw away."

"Kris…" his hand once again moved on its' own. Their eyes were locked onto one another, and Ray blushed, taking away his hand. "S-Sorry I-I…"

A small and soft hand took his, carrying it to her face, and rubbing her cheek against it. Ray's eyes dimmed; he was in heaven. "It'll be our song."

His fingers moved over her cheek and he felt along her tan skin, his heart pumping madly in his chest. He was sure her heart was pumping too. He gazed into those eyes that he adored, and within them, he saw her, the real her.

Their bodies embraced.

"Who's working table number four?"

"Kisa is, but I'll pick it up for her."

"Where's the fish?"

"Right here! On the rocks!" Ray smiled as he saw Kris whirl around and around, serving customers left and right. He had to give her a raise for this one.

They weren't exactly together, but they certainly weren't strangers to one another either. Their nights together were like the one with the guitar. They shared dinner; they cooked for each other, made jokes, laughed, and forgot everyone else except for each other. It was weird how one girl came into his life, and made such a difference.

The new restaurant was looking better than ever, and he knew that this was going to be the start of something great and magnificent. It was then that his mind turned to his friends. They were going to be leaving tomorrow, and he had to say goodbye to them. He had called upon them one last time for dinner the previous night, going to one of his own restaurants to celebrate. Kai had mentioned that they would be back next year, to see how things were going, and Ray couldn't help but laugh. It was always like him to do things like that.

The night of the guitar was only four days ago, and now time passed as if it had to effect on him. Ray sighed; it was nearly Saturday.

He gazed over at his girl, her happiness being absorbed by the customers and making everyone seem bright and cheerful. He sat at one of the tables, organizing everything from where he was, and it was then that he realized something.

She looked sad. Ray watched her closely, her movements were slightly sluggish, and a few times he caught her daydreaming, her eyes just floating in space. He had no idea what was wrong, but he knew that she would tell him.

She was bright, but the star that lit her up was beginning to lose its heat, and Ray knew that she needed to go home. When he came to think of it, he had seen less and less of her things around the house. The familiar smells of femininity were beginning to fade. What was going on?

"Kris." She turned to him, breathing heavily from the work. "Yes?" he motioned outside, and she knew what he wanted.

The car ride home was silent, Kris not even putting in her music as she normally did. He glanced over his shoulder to look at her, but said nothing. Something was wrong, she was never this quiet.

When they got home, he set down his car keys and noticed Kris staring at a picture of them together in the greenhouse they had gone to. Her eyes were so sad, he felt as if his world was being torn apart by some unimaginable force that he couldn't control.

"Kris?" she whirled around to him, slightly frightened. "Oh… yes?" her voice was low, which was also uncommon. She was usually loud and often times never whispered.

Ray put a hand on her shoulder. "Is everything alright? You seem… quiet." Kris shook her head, giving him a small smile. "It's nothing." Her body told him everything. Her movements were slow, her speech was barely audible, and her eyes…

"Why don't you go start dinner? I'll be with you in a second." Kris agreed to his order and changed her clothes. Ray followed her with his eyes as she appeared in the kitchen, only wearing a tank top and jeans. The cutting of the knife began as she chopped up some onions to put in her pan, and then came tomatoes and so forth.

_If I can have her… just for one night…_ He slapped himself on the head. _What am I thinking? I can't…_ He gazed at her, and he saw that he never realized how big her behind was. It was round, curvy, and made his throat go dry.

_How could I not notice that thing? It's right there for God's sake!_ His eyes drifted to her chest and his heart jumped. Ray could feel himself already getting aroused, and he forced himself to look away. _This isn't right… what if she…_

_I have to do it. Right now, I have to. I can't wait… I think I'll go nuts if I don't do it!_ Ray took a deep breath of confidence, and stepped into the kitchen, standing directly behind her. He swallowed, inhaling her scent.

Slowly, the knife stopped cutting and she stood there, waiting for him. She smelled like passion fruit. "Ray…"

He put his arms around her, pulling himself closer to her, rubbing her head softly with his chin. "Kris I…" Ray didn't know the right words; his throat was stuck, and his tongue refused to move. He could feel her chuckling, a small smile upon her face.

"It's alright. I don't mind… I…" she paused, pressing herself against him. "I want you too." His eyes widened as he heard her, his hand shaking. "You… you want me?"

Kris nodded, pulling his hands upwards. "I know… I know how you feel Ray… it…" she paused, searching.

"It feels nice, doesn't it?" he asked, nuzzling her head. "I want you." She smiled fully now, her face turning to his. "And I want you too."

It was then that he grasped at her, his hands rubbing over the surface of her chest. He held his hands there for a second, just feeling the size of them.

"Your breasts… they're so big…" softly, he began to fondle her, feeling the squishy and plentiful flesh beneath his fingers. "They're so soft…"

Kris squeaked a bit as he fondled her, giggling a little. "They're not that big…" he shook his head, squeezing them gently. She gasped out loud.

"They're big to me." he rubbed them softly, but he wanted more. This was just the surface, it wasn't even her skin. Ray moved his hands away from her, and slid them inside her tank top, feeling the bra now, the soft cloth rubbing against him.

He groped at them, squeezing gently and rubbing them together. Kris put a hand over his hands, and he stopped, his arousal gone and panic in his eyes. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't-"

"It's okay… it's just… the kitchen is no place for this." He took his hands away and watched her as she exited out, eyeing him slyly. His arousal came back.

She led him to his bedroom, stripping herself of the tank top so that only her bra was on. Ray followed in behind her and closed the door, locking it. He saw them, jiggling up and down as she took off her top, and tossed it on the bed. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

With a quick hop, he was behind her again, his hands moving more now, certain of what they wanted. He swallowed and knew he wasn't satisfied just yet.

Just one night, that's all I want her for. Just one blessed night.

"This is going to come off." He stated, his hands moving to unhook her bra. Kris didn't hesitate, but responded to him instead. "It unlatches; you'll see it in the back."

She was calm about this, as if he wasn't going anything to her at all. Her face was red however, and her body was heating up. She was getting turned on as well.

He unlatched her bra and let it drop, his eyes watching as the breasts became bigger, the restraint of the bra torn away from them as they bulged out. Ray grasped at her again, this time, feeling nothing but sweet softness and plush.

Kris gasped more now, almost backing into him completely. His hips moved on their own as his crotch rubbed against her behind. It was huge.

"Your nipples are getting harder…" he murmured, rubbing her breasts more. Kris looked down, her nipples erect with pleasure as he got even hotter. Ray smiled and continued to rub, his right hand moving downwards to her lean stomach and past that. He unlatched her first button.

"Ray… you want…"

"Yes. For you." His hand unzipped her pants now, and his fingers slid inside the warmth, searching a little before clamping onto the little object of his desire. Kris let out a moan as he began to rub it, her bottom pressing up more against him and causing his face to become even more heated.

"You were already wet." He stated his fingers slimy and his other hand stretching her nipple. Kris couldn't reply, but only moaned more as he continued his reign. He loved it.

His fingers found her cavern, and he entered the tightness too much for him to bear. She yelped and bent backwards, his hands only barely keeping her in place. Ray had found what he was looking for.

They moved towards the bed now, his hands retreating from her body as they both got undressed in a fury of motions. Ray took off his shirt and let his hair loose, throwing off his pants and leaving only his boxers on. Kris gasped at his body, the chiseled man gazing at her softly. He turned red.

"I… work out a lot…" she got up and off the bed, walking to him, now completely nude. Her eyes were stuck to his six pack. He stepped back a bit, unsure of what she would think. Kris pressed herself against him, rubbing his muscles with her breasts. "They're so tight… and so smooth…"

He smiled as she enjoyed some of his body, and softly, he pushed her down onto the bed, lying down on top of her. "If I hurt you, tell me and I'll stop." He stated, looking her straight in the eye. Kris nodded, ushering him closer. "Don't worry, I will."

Ray placed his head in her cleavage, licking at both of her breasts as he did so. His hands lined her sides, his erection getting harder. Kris wiggled a bit, trying not to moan loudly. The soft light that came from the bedside lamp was the only thing that aided them in their scenes, and it made them all the more passionate.

He found her nipple and sucked, Kris pressing his head closer to her and filling his mouth more. She tasted so sweet, like the scent that she had. He sucked and sucked, never tiring of her, as his other hand twisted her nipple and stretched them, sending shivers up her spine. It was wonderful.

Her hands lined his abs and ears, causing him to moan and gasp, never before feeling his aroused in his life. She knew where to put her fingers, and she knew how to hit him good. His long hair stuck to her, their bodies heating up faster now, and Kris licked at his abs. Ray breathed in heavily, not even bothering to contain himself anymore.

He planted kisses all along her stomach, under her breasts and landing at her crotch, where, he licked once, and then opened her legs. He glanced up at her, Kris merely gazing at him. She wanted him.

He wasn't rough at first, only putting it in so much that half of it was in. But the tightness of her core was too much for him, and like his fingers, he dug deeper into her. Kris moaned aloud as he filled her up, his hands pressed firmly against her sides and his rocking growing more and more intense.

This was what he wanted, and this was all he had ever dreamed of. He never knew he would do it with her, but she was the one. She was the girl he would give his virginity to. He was never happier.

"Kris…" he began to moan her name, the thoughts of passion overtaking him as he pushed faster and harder. Kris yelped at his motions, and said his name back to him. "Ray…"

Together, they were in rhythm, their organs sucking lovingly and sweetly, Ray getting harder and harder, until he felt as if he were about to explode in a rage of fury.

"I'm… I'm coming!" he shouted, rocking into her more, pushing his way in as far as he could, and enveloping the twisting world around him. Kris felt lightheaded and dizzy, but it felt so good to her. They shared shivers, and their bodies wanted it.

Both screamed at the same time. He gave one last final push, jamming it into her and letting himself explode inside her. She held him firmly against her, his juices spilling nowhere but into her. Their names echoed off the walls.

When at last their passion was done, he collapsed upon her, his head on one of her breasts and his breathing heavy. She nudged him, her breathing slow and heavy. Ray knew that he was crushing her, and he rolled onto his side, his erection gone and sweat glistening on his well cut body.

He gazed at her, and she gazed at him. Her eyes were shining brightly, and she smiled at him, the softness of her eyes taking him into another world.

"That was wonderful." Ray smiled back at her and nodded, his arm pulling her closer to him. He felt her breasts against his chest, and he stuck her nose in her hair, once again inhaling that scent he had come to love.

His left hand had a freebie, fondling her bottom only once before coming back up to embrace her against him. "That's big too." She laughed at him, burying her head in his neck, and intertwining their legs.

He had found it, the one thing he had been searching for, and the one thing that would make him a full man. He had shared his temple with someone he loved, and he knew that she was it. She was his everything, she was his life.

Kristiana.


	8. Ai

His throat was dry and his lips were cracked. He coughed as he sat up, the memories of last night lingering in his head.

"The last thing I remember…" he gazed at the place beside him. Nobody was there. Ray smiled, getting up and putting on his pants. "She must have gone back to her room." Daylight poured through the windows, and the sun was bright. Last night was amazing for him, and it was something that he would remember for the rest of his life.

He stepped out of his room, noticing the door to Kris's room was open. He closed it gently, sure that she was sleeping still. His feet took him to the shower where he washed and dried himself, riding himself of the stench of sweat and sex, but still smelling the love between them.

_I can't believe we did it… it felt fantastic!_ He smiled to himself as he dried his long hair, blow drying it so it hung straight down. _I'll make her breakfast today… she always does it for me!_ Ray chuckled a bit as he practically pranced into the kitchen. He found some pots and pans, and then stopped. He wasn't sure if she liked her eggs scrambled or not.

"Kris?" he walked towards her room, opening the door. "Hey, are you awake? I wanted to ask you some-"

He stopped his eyes wide. The room was bare, there weren't any suitcases around, and everything was placed in perfect order. The bed was made, and the furniture was clean. What's going on?

"Kris?" Ray opened her closet and found all of her clothes gone, as well as her drawers. He began to panic, running downstairs and opening all the doors and closets in order to look for her. "Kris?" he was sprinting now, everywhere in his house, even outside and he saw no sign of her.

_Was that just… a one night stand?_ He began to wonder now as he walked back into his house. He was so confused, he had to sit down. Ray breathed out and sighed. No, last night was too real. _She was eager to have me, and she couldn't have just up and left…_ He bit his lip, thinking. _What's going on?_

It was at that moment that his phone beeped from his room. He didn't even remember going towards his room. He had two things: a voicemail, and a text. The text came first.

Free text from: 009-782-16387

Resignation time: 8AM

Resignation ID: 00768

Name: Kristiana Soler

His heart was pumping now. _Why would she resign? She didn't get fired… I'm not mad at her… _The questions kept piling themselves until his head was about to explode. He dreaded hearing the voicemail, but he knew he had to. It would lead him to her, and that was the only thing he had to go by.

"By now, she's probably gone." The voice was familiar. _Kai?_ "She had to leave Ray. She never told you, and she didn't want to, but she loves you Ray. She really does_." _

_Then why would she leave like this?_ "You don't have much time. By now, you've probably dressed yourself and gotten ready. She's in gate G-9, but be quick about it, her flight leaves at ten o'clock sharp. She's going back home Ray." a pause came as the message ended. "Good luck."

Ray couldn't move, his hand frozen holding the phone beside his ear. _What… what…_ after a few moments his head turned to the clock above him. _Nine forty._ He had twenty minutes. Without even blinking an eye he grabbed his keys and sprinted out the door, not even bothering to make himself anything. She was more important to him than anything.

He parked his car and beeped it, running towards the airport. _That's why all of her bags were gone, that's why there's nothing left._ Ray's heart was beating faster than he had ever known. His feet were like wings, flying him towards his destination. People stared as he ran, a twenty four year old running through crowds and passing people, nearly pushing them out of his way.

For some reason, he had the urge to look nice today, which he normally didn't do on the weekends. Wearing a pair of jeans and a black muscle tee shirt, he ran towards her, his gut instinct telling him that she was close. _That's why… I wanted to wear black… it's her second favorite color… for some reason, I knew. _

He glanced at his watch, gasping for air. Nine fifty five. He had to run faster, the only girl he had ever cared for leaving him. _When…_ he began to wonder as he ran faster and faster, his feet barely touching the ground.

When… when was it that you came into my heart? When did our friendship stop and our love begin? I can't count the days I've been with you, it seems like forever.

His golden eyes finally spied a little Latin girl sitting alone near the gate, listening to her music. When I look into your eyes… my world comes to life. When… or rather, how, did you make such an impression me?

Ray ran in front of her, panting and sweating. He had forgotten to tie up his hair, so it hung all around him in a wild fury. Kris was startled by his appearance, and nearly jumped up. Ray smiled weakly, murmuring.

"Like the first time we met…" she stared at him, and whispered. "What are you doing here? How did you find out?" Ray shook his head and got down upon his knees, staring at her. "What are you doing Kris? Where are you going?" he asked, his heart throbbing.

Kris paused before answering him. "I'm going home Ray." he gasped a little. "What?"

"I live in America. I don't go to college here, I was merely studying abroad. I have to go back to where I belong." She said plainly, gazing at him. "I can't stay here."

Ray's mind was on overdrive; his heart was on overdrive, hell his entire body was on overdrive. He swallowed hard. "But…"

"Gate nine please prepare for boarding." Kris raised her head at the sound of the voice. "It's time for me to go." She stood up, already walking away from him with her suitcase in hand. Ray stared as she went, and as he stood up he shouted. "Kris!"

She stopped and turned around, gazing at him. "Ray, I can't stay, I have to"

"Just listen!" he interrupted her, his eyes soft. He paused, and then, he spoke from his heart, the organ that was driving him towards her.

"Kris, I can't… I can't bear to be without you." He breathed. "From the moment we met, there was something about you I couldn't really put my finger on, but it was something that I hadn't seen in anybody else. You were special and you… you were so happy… all the time."

His eyes were burning. "You were always so happy, and when we were together, that's when I was the happiest! When I let you into my house, you did everything for me, even though I didn't deserve it!" his throat was slowly closing.

"I didn't you buy you those things because I was being nice!" they had a little crowd going now; they always seemed to attract a crowd when they were around each other. The people were watching in interest, two star crossed lovers going at it.

"I didn't play my guitar for you because I was being nice! I did all those things… all those things… and even last night! It was only because…"

The words were stuck in his mind, but they rolled off his tongue.

"I love you."

He had said it, he finally said it. Bottled up inside, it wasn't doing him any good, and when he had said it, it felt like it floated in the air, warming it up. Her eyes widened as she dropped her bags.

Ray could feel it, the tears running down his cheeks and his heart throbbing. "Don't go… don't go Kris…" she stared at him, disbelief on her face. His body was moving towards her slowly, Kris merely standing there.

Everyone watched in anticipation. Would she accept him? Would she reject him? What was going on between them?

He shook his head as his tears clouded his vision. "Don't go… please don't go…" his arms wrapped around that familiar waist of hers and his hands grasped at her sides, pushing her against him. Ray's eyes closed as he let his tears drip onto her. "Don't leave me…"

Little arms wrapped around his back, and slowly, she shuddered as well, crying into his chest. He opened his eyes to be met with hers, as she spoke to him.

"I love you too."

His heart soared, high above the clouds, through space, and burst into stars that flew across the universe illuminating their love.

"I'll never leave you… never." He gazed at her as she said those words, and that's all he wanted to hear. Slowly, very slowly, her body rose to him, standing on her toes.

He bent down, his eyes closing and reached out to her, the feeling of love spreading through him. Their lips touched, and he pressed her closer to him, lifting her up and embracing her. Their tears melded together as a roar of approval rose from everyone watching at the airport.

It was a story of love, it was their story. It was all they had ever wanted. They kissed tenderly, slowly, and passionately. He stared into his love, and she gazed back at him, holding onto his neck. _I'll feel you always, until I'm gone. _

_I love you. _


	9. Epilogue

"Can I get another order of oniigiri over here?" he waved to his favorite waitress as she spun towards him, placing down the order. He smiled up at her, kissing her cheek lightly. She giggled, and spun away, taking another table.

"So, you got on the plane with her? That's why you were away." Ray nodded at his friend. It had been three months since the incident, and he had explained what had happened. Kai smiled at his friend, and nodded his head. "I told her to make you happy."

Ray stared at him, the clanking of dishes and the bustling of the restaurant drowning out in his ears. "What?"

Kai smirked. "I told her to make you happy, and she said she would." Ray growled. "So THAT'S what that was all about." He hit Kai lightly. "You little sneak." The Russian man smiled triumphantly to himself, and ate a dumpling.

"Well I'm just glad that you worked it out. Her parents were okay with it?" Max asked, inhaling the rice before him.

"They were okay with it, but they made me promise to hold off on the wedding until she turned twenty. That's actually far away if you think about it." He put his chin on his hand. "Her birthday is in June…"

"Maybe you should have the wedding in June." Tyson suggested, sipping his tea. "Nah, she wants a winter wedding. We're actually going back to the US for it."

"Are we invited?" Max stared at his friend with a smile on his face. Ray smirked a little and glanced at Kai. "You're my right hand man."

Kai flushed a deep crimson at the thought of actually servicing his friend. The men laughed, amused at Kai's face. Kai turned away, his heart happy and content.

"It'll be something alright…" Ray turned his eyes to see his little girl placing her plates down and glancing at him, smiling back at him.

"And her college gave her a free scholarship to come back here. She's actually studying music now and not pharmacy." Ray added, turning back to them. "She's a lot happier now."

"I thought she couldn't get much happier but apparently I was wrong." Tyson replied, eating more of his dish. The Chinese man nodded at him, and his eyes fell upon a rose that bloomed outside his restaurant. "She's my everything."

Nearby, through the trees and through the bushes, a bird was preening its' feathers, looking down upon the restaurant. It was taking its first flight today. Slowly, it spread its' wings, and jumped out of the safety of its nest, falling to the ground.

The muscles moved, and the wings flew up, flapping around first dizzily and then forcefully, flying towards the sky. He would get the hang of it eventually.

His bird eyes spotted a female far off, in the distance, the redness of her feathers attracting him and causing him to come towards her. He hesitantly chirped, and puffed his chest, making him seem more manly. It was mating time.

She glanced at him, and immediately, they connected, their wings flying together in unison as they sailed towards the sky. The light above them rained down upon the new found lovers, and they were to share their lives together.

Love knew no bounds, and the sky was the limit.

Completed: 3/18/2011

Author's note: Thank you all for reading and your support! Remember, the sky is the limit.

~Anoka


End file.
